麻豆视频AV

I would like to acknowledge the work that you are doing in partnership with us to safeguard our community and to thank you for your continued diligence in observing COVID-19 protocols. It is clear from the data and our own personal experiences that we are in the midst of another wave of COVID-19 cases, yet the levels of reported cases has remained relatively stable to date. Proactive behaviours, such as keeping students showing symptoms at home and using RATs as part of early prevention, seems to be helping. RATs are available for collection from Student Receptions as required. We also continue to report on a daily basis, so we greatly appreciate the early notification that we are receiving at the College from parents/guardians. Students are strongly recommended to wear face masks when indoors and masks are freely available from Student Receptions. In accordance with MACS guidelines, we are not mandating the wearing of face masks.

Staff shortage due to illness remains a challenge for us and while we are trying to avoid the cancellation of activities, we appreciate that students are not always under the tuition of their regular teacher at the moment. Our staff are doing an amazing job of trying to support their colleagues through these challenging times and I thank you for understanding that we are doing the best that we can with the available resources. Your reassurance that continued application and effort will see good outcomes is especially valuable if your young people are expressing concerns about their progress. You will also get more feedback on student progress over the next few weeks. In the meantime, you are asked to contact the relevant level leader should you have concerns about progress.

We enter the season of parent / student / teacher interviews over the next few weeks and there are events for each year level with some in an online mode and others, hopefully, able to proceed in person at the College. There are a number of whole school events coming up and these have been included as advance notice of early closure times and student free days:

• Monday, 1st August
  Year 7 2023 Parent Evening is a normal school day
• Monday, 8th August
  Staff Spirituality Day is a Student Free Day
• Wednesday, 17th August
  VCE/VCAL P/T Interviews (online) - School finishes at 12.15pm
• Thursday, 25th August
  Year 7 P/T Interviews and Subject Expo Yrs 8-10 (onsite - TBC) - Student Free Day

Staff Spirituality Day

Ongoing formation in our spirituality is a cornerstone of our staff development policy and on Monday, 8th August we are gathering for our Staff Spirituality Day. The keynote for the day is titled: 鈥淏eauty, Reason, and Justice in a Time of Pandemic鈥�.  Advance notice that this is a student free day.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews - VCE / VCAL Students

Parent Student Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, 17th August (2pm-8pm) for students in VCE and VCAL only.  Please note that all students will finish school at 12.15pm to allow staff to be available for these interviews. These interviews will be conducted online. 

Year 7 Parent Student Teacher Interviews

Year 7 Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to meet with Homeroom Teachers on the evening of Thursday 25th August (2pm to 8pm).  We are hoping that these interviews will be able to be conducted in person at the College.

Subject Selection Expo

Interviews for Years 8, 9 and 10 will take the form of a Subject Selection Expo on Thursday 25th August (2pm to 8pm).  Please note that this is a student free day.  Aquinas teaching staff will have Professional Practice Time prior to the commencement of the Subject Selection Expo. We are hoping that students and their parents/guardians will be able to attend the expo in person at the College, but will review this closer to the date in consideration of COVID-19 cases.

Year 7 2023 Information Night

The first Information Night for guardians of students joining Aquinas for Year 7 in 2023 will be held on Monday, 1st August at 7.30pm. We are targeting families whose oldest child is commencing Year 7 and those new to Aquinas. Current families are welcome to attend if you seek a refresher about transition. This is the final reminder to Aquinas families regarding enrolment in Year 7 in 2024. Applications close on August 19th and there are no guarantees that places will be available for applications received after this deadline.

Year 8 Camps

The feedback from Year 8 Camp participants over the last two weeks has been very positive and many students have found that overcoming the physical challenges posed on the camp is very rewarding. Special thanks to Camps Coordinator, Ms Jess Lane, and to the staff who have made this experience available to our students through their willingness to contribute their time and pastoral care. 

Premier鈥檚 VCE Awards

Congratulations to Tanisha Wu (Business Management) and Kaelan Boundy (Physical Education) who were among a select group of 300 students acknowledged for academic excellence in 2021 as part of the . This is an outstanding achievement. Congratulations also to their teachers, Ms Camilla Bar-Ness and Mr Steve McGrath.

Aquinas Advisory Council Seminar

Due to our presenter experiencing illness, we have had to postpone the Advisory Council Seminar that was scheduled for this week.

Darren Atkinson
Principal

The Subject Selection Website is now available for students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 to select their subjects for 2023.

All students in these year levels have been sent an email with a link, and further information presentations will be taking place next week. The Subject Selection website has a description of every subject offered at Aquinas from Years 9 to 12.

The 2023 website has been completely rebuilt for greater ease of use. On the home page click on the year the student will be completing in 2023 and it will take them to a single page that lists and describes subjects, VET subjects are on a separate page. The timelines the student needs to meet are on the bottom of every page.

Key dates for Subject Selection:

• A presentation to Years 8 to 11 on Thursday August 4th to make sure they understand the process
• Subject choices can be submitted after Monday 15th August
• Years 8, 9, 10 should submit a first draft by 22nd August
• Subject Selection Expo plus a meeting with HRT or Mentor is on August 25
• Final subject selections due August 29

This is a good opportunity to discuss the plans and possibilities of subjects with your child. For the younger students who are selecting subjects for the first time, this can be a little daunting but can also provide insight into their potential study pathway. For senior students this can be an exciting time to either try something relatively new or hone in on the subjects they may feel quite passionate about.

We invite and encourage parents to come along with your child to the Subject Selection Expo on Thursday 25th August to meet with their Homeroom Teacher/Mentor and get a better understanding of the subjects on offer at 麻豆视频AV.

Enjoy thinking about 2023 and choose wisely.

Michael Box

Deputy Principal Learning

Thinking about important matters...on resilience

In March of 2020, the World Health Organisation categorised COVID-19 as a pandemic, marking a point in time that will most likely be remembered by future generations as a major crisis that overwhelmed the world in recent history. We continue to deal with the consequences of the pandemic, despite the fact that since then, we have endured lockdowns, we have witnessed the vulnerability of health systems when addressing the impact of the illness and the disruptions to chain supply world wide. On top of this, war in certain places did not stop and some new wars have dominated the headlines. Economies across the world have suffered and the psychological damage to many continues to be accounted for. The leadership of politicians and health officials continues to be scrutinised and opinions about the best way to address the pandemic continue to be varied and diverse. 

Ringwood was an area that was seemingly well protected during the first two years of the pandemic. Colleagues working in the Northern and Western suburbs of Melbourne had different experiences in 2020 and 2021 to what I experienced as a leader of this College, and for that, I remain thankful. Many of the school communities of those Regional Colleges in other parts of the city experienced the ferocity of the pandemic with many infections and sadly, the passing of people associated with their communities. In the last seven months, the experience has been different for us. New variants and the strategy to no longer mandate isolation for all has seen waves of the virus impact the College and our functioning. Thankfully, our students seem able to recover and bounce back, but COVID-19 infections and other illnesses have had a toll on the community; some staff and some students have experienced interruptions to their lives, limiting face to face learning. This experience is not just reserved to Aquinas. Colleagues from other schools, local and afar, all share similar experiences, namely the challenges to remain open because of the absences we inevitably have experienced and the well documented shortage of available teaching staff to support the students. 

As I reflect on what has been achieved to this point, I am cautious of the negative experiences but I am also uplifted when I realise that the school has continued to remain open and that each day, the great majority of our students attend the College and engage with the programs that their dedicated teachers are able to provide. Independent learning assists students to follow their online programs when necessary, and parent support proves to be an essential component in encouraging students, promoting learning and uplifting their motivation. I thank you for your efforts in this.

The relevance and importance of resilience is a key to not only adapt but achieve success despite the contexts that we may face. In previous articles in this publication, I have referred to resilience as the outcome of experience and challenges that help shape us to deal with adversity. At times, that resilience is the outcome of traumatic experiences and tends to also be assisted by the support networks we form around us. Most times, the so-called 鈥渉ard knocks of life鈥� reward us with the necessary resilience to not just adapt to the challenges we face but also achieve positive outcomes when dealing with them. 

It is indeed in the moments of a crisis that we find opportunities to learn about the resilience we hold individually as well as how we form part of a resilient, or not so resilient, society or community. I dare say that when things are going well, and life seems prosperous, that we display great levels of resilience, yet, it is when things break down that we realise valuable lessons about the mechanisms that build and maintain that resilience, or more specifically, the absence of it. Over the last 30 months, and more specifically, in the last 7 months, our community has been put to the test. 

I recently came across a study into society鈥檚 response to COVID-19 in the USA that concludes that resilience may be identified within the scope of connectivity, in essence, how well people were able to maintain connections with others; online with the community and external world and then face to face with those they lived with. 

The term connectivity is broad and can be defined extensively depending on the context where it may be applied. I suggest that a way to support student development despite the current challenges, is to explore their connectivity to the world they live in. A key perspective when assessing how well students continue to meet the demands and challenges of their learning is to ask how well connected they are to their community and how this equips them to engage. 

Undoubtedly, social interactions and delayed development in social skills were, and may continue to be, impacted by the degrees of isolation that most people have faced. In large proportions of the year 2020 and 2021, many of our staff navigated through online learning and delivered programs to students in ways that were remarkable but limiting. We identified students who thrived in the context, with the great majority of students progressing accordingly, yet we also found many students struggling with remote learning. Some students simply went missing in action and did not engage with the programs on offer, despite the support of their parents and staff. 

The absence of that connectivity may continue to have implications now that the students have all returned to face to face learning, with identified gaps in their development, and their difficulties when relating and engaging with others. This is also impounded for some by a lack of motivation, something that teenagers have faced throughout time ever since schools were formed. If your child is one of those students, it is essential that they seek support and that you work in partnership with their subject teachers, their homeroom teachers or learning mentors and the respective Year Level Leaders. 

It was not that long ago that our society sought an end to the lockdowns and thankfully, life has returned to resemble what we knew it to be 3 years ago in most aspects. Yet, the implications of the pandemic continue to impact the College in being able to achieve this. Making use of our tutoring opportunities, maintaining appropriate school attendance, challenging your child to be cautious of the virus and maintain safety, engaging with the staff and setting goals, seeking counselling support and forming clear pathways are key strategies that may assist you, in supporting your child and in meeting the challenges they face. I hope that soon, COVID-19 will be a thing of the past, and I am confident that Aquinas students will continue to strive for excellence when they are connected and when their resilience demonstrates a vision that takes on the challenges with optimism, commitment and confidence. To achieve this, I encourage you to continue to work in partnership with the College as we try our best to overcome the current set of circumstances. If you have any questions or concerns about your child鈥檚 progress, please contact their respective subject teachers, homeroom teachers or learning mentors. For more specific support, please contact the Year Level Leader or Team Leader. I wish you all the best as you continue to support your child in their positive connections to the world around them and I thank you for supporting the College as a partner in the education of your child. 

The following is an important message regarding a growing problem for some young people - sextortion. 

School TV: A Special Report on Sextortion

According to the eSafety Commissioner, 鈥榮extortion鈥� is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate images of you unless you give in to their demands. Since mid 2021 and the beginning of 2022, there has been a 400% increase in sextortion crimes being reported to the police in Australia alone. However, these figures are being replicated in most western countries.

Although this has been an issue for over a decade, originally the victims were usually adults. However, more recently the targeted victims have been young adolescent males, but that is not to say that young females are not also targeted. It is therefore vitally important for adult carers to be aware of this serious issue and to start having an age appropriate conversation as early as possible.

Some viewers may find segments of the information presented in this Special Report distressing or confronting. However, the main focus is to alert not alarm parents and caregivers. It is suitable for all adult carers whose children use online accounts to connect on social media, chat apps, instant messaging platforms or online games. This Special Report explains how your young person can fall victim to such a crime and what action to take to support them. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report

If you or your child require support, please contact their pastoral leaders or the Youth and Family Services at the College.

Nap Rodezno
Deputy Principal

Do you believe this?

Today is the memorial day of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, siblings who were friends with Jesus. The gospel reading, John 11:19-27, focuses on the death of Lazarus and Martha鈥檚 faith that her brother will 鈥渞ise again on the last day鈥�. Jesus鈥� responded:

鈥業 am the resurrection and the life.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?鈥�

When reading this passage in preparation for this article, I paused on the question Jesus asks. 鈥淒o you believe this?鈥� It is a question not just for Martha, but for all of us. How often do we recite the Nicene Creed 鈥淚 believe in one God, Father the Almighty…..鈥� and actually think about what we are saying?

In all aspects of life, when we repeat something regularly it often becomes subconscious, something we simply say or do without thinking. Many coaches and teachers discuss the need to bring these words or actions back to the conscious mind so that we can truly focus on the meaning behind what we do or say. Hopefully today is an opportunity for you to bring your beliefs back into your consciousness. I have included the Nicene Creed below for you to read, reflect and bring back to the forefront of your mind so that when Jesus asks, 鈥淒o you believe this?鈥� You have an answer.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son, is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the Prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. 

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

Senior Years Report

Do parents and carers know how much they matter to their child's success in learning? Parenting certainly doesn't come with a manual and we can fumble about hoping we are doing a good job and trying our best. Everyone wants their child to succeed in school. Research informs us that parent attitudes towards learning matter by significantly influencing student self-esteem and academic achievement.

There are many influencing factors on learning, including the child themselves and the teaching and curriculum. This article focuses on parents as first educators in their child's lives and effective parent engagement in learning.

We know parents want to be involved in their child's learning; however often feel that the older their children are, the fewer opportunities there are for them to be part of the learning. It can feel easier to influence your child's progress during primary school because of tangible practices such as reading together or talking maths when following recipes in the kitchen. 

By Middle Years students are developing independence and it may seem that your child doesn't want you anywhere near school or to be involved in knowing what is happening in their learning. (By the way, it's not true, Year 9's love their family attending Cafe N9ne to see them running the service even if they say otherwise).

By the Senior Years, students should be able to manage their home learning and study, and it may surprise you that involving yourself directly in homework is not a substantial factor in influencing your child's achievement at this level. (This will come as a relief to many). So what is it that parents do at home that matters? Research shows that having realistic, high expectations for achievement makes a difference to student wellbeing and academic achievement.

How do you know if you are on the right track? Educational research indicates that parent engagement in learning grounded in productive values and attitudes with high expectations benefits their child's learning. For example: expecting participation in all aspects of learning;  refraining from passing on your prejudice or fears in regards to particular abilities or skills in subjects; engaging in constructive conversations about world events; share in discussions on how 'things' work; having conversations about work and homework balance; believing the tough times will pass; normalising help-seeking beyond class time; supporting full attendance (when well) by refusing to sign your child out for work; role modelling how to be part of solutions to problems faced. 

There are many demands on parents' time and lives. Even though you may not always be able to be present at all school events or be at home helping them understand their work, it is important to know that one of the strongest factors to positively influence your child's self-esteem and academic achievement is through positive role modelling healthy attitudes towards learning, high expectations and encouragement.

Rachel Crawley
Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

If I tell a story about a student that I once taught...and it was last century...and it was in another country... do I have some sort of 鈥榚ducational immunity???

I will risk it anyway as it鈥檚 a story that reminds me of the importance of empathy in our communities. I have recently been encouraging our students to live lives of empathy and I hope to highlight here how there are benefits for everyone. This story is about the most challenging student I ever taught. Let鈥檚 call him Jack. (Don鈥檛 worry any of the millions of Jacks in the world reading this, it鈥檚 not you!)

I was a very inexperienced teacher and had a year of dealing with a variety of behaviours from Jack that were extremely challenging for me to navigate. Disrespect, risk-taking behaviours, manipulation, threats, violence towards himself, others, and me! Welcome to East London.

On the last day of the year, Jack had a meltdown to end all meltdowns and I wasn鈥檛 spared his wrath! I wasn鈥檛 quite crawling up in a ball in the corner but I was pretty defeated. Another student from the class, Sarah, could see the carnage, she calmly approached me and like a seasoned pro said, 鈥淕ee it must be hard鈥�.

I didn鈥檛 even look at Sarah or even speak, but in my head I thought, 鈥淭hank you!! It is so hard! You better believe it! Finally some acknowledgment! I鈥檝e tried everything I can think of yet still this is what I get!鈥�.

But before I could actually reply to her, she continued and said, 鈥淕ee it must be hard…it must be so hard being Jack".

Cognitive and Emotional Empathy 101. Taught to me by a 13-year-old. I assume she acted kindly towards Jack based on the way she had put herself so strongly in his shoes on that last day. This is what we at Aquinas strive for; to see in our students and staff - compassionate empathy - the kind of genuine, positive empathy that leads to positive action.

To include others, give them the benefit of the doubt, stand up for injustice, encourage a self-doubter, journey with someone, and help them see themselves as God sees them. The type of actions that bring great culture to schools and community. When we show this kind of empathy, it鈥檚 a win-win for everyone. We would hope that the more empathetic we are, the more likely we are to then act in a kind way. And the neuroscience behind this is that if you do something nice for someone else, the brain releases a chemical called oxytocin and this is a hormone that makes us feel joy, makes us feel happy.

Barack Obama couldn鈥檛 make it to our last assembly where I spoke on empathy but his words on the topic are what we long for all of our community to live out, 鈥淟earning to stand in somebody else鈥檚 shoes, to see through their eyes, that鈥檚 how peace begins. And it鈥檚 up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.鈥�

I have no idea where Sarah or Jack are now, but they would be well in their 30s. Maybe 40s! I can鈥檛 help but think that Sarah is someone that is a good listener, caring, selfless, respectful, compassionate, socially strong, and maybe a strong leader who makes a positive impact in her community. And that Jack is someone that has hopefully experienced a lot of Sarahs in his life.

Head Middle Years

On the 14th of July the Aquinas Music Department headed off to Phillip Island for the annual Music Camp.  The weekend was filled with rehearsals, activities and workshops for all of our students.  The highlight for many of the students was the opportunity to collaborate and prepare the combined music item which included joining together all 120 students from Bands, Guitar Ensembles and Choirs.  This year the combined item will feature at the Colleges Showcase Music Concert which will take place on the 8th of September at the Karralyka Theatre.  Tickets will be on sale mid August for families and friends.

鈥淭he thing with Joy Division's music is that each member was playing like a separate line. We hardly ever played together; we all played separately. But when you put it together, it was like the ingredients in a cake鈥�. Peter Hook, Joy Division

Jared Campbell
Music Programs Coordinator

National Schools Tree Planting Day

This weekend is National Tree Planting Day, Sunday 31st July. 麻豆视频AV will be celebrating National Schools Tree Planting Day next Friday the 5th August. All students have been emailed an invitation to express their interest in participating. You can also join your local community and find locations in your neighbourhood here:

Why plant a tree?
To reduce impacts of climate change. Trees absorb CO2, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. To improve your mental and physical health. Planting a tree is fun and super easy to do.  It improves connections to nature which can reduce stress and anxiety. To create and restore habitat by creating vegetation corridors. Planting native seedlings can improve habitat for native wildlife.

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

In our learning area, we have been exploring a great variety of topics. Year 7 students investigated belonging to a faith learning community and an investigation of the Eucharist. Year 8 students looked at Good and Evil in our world as well as the challenge of Laudato si in developing a sustainable lifestyle that protects the Earth and the environment for future generations. Year 9 students asked the question 鈥榃hy should we be voices for positive change?鈥� when finding out more about God鈥檚 prophets, as well as how our faith community seeks out ways to both heal and reconcile when either our relationships or health are damaged. Senior students continue working on VCE Religion and Society, as well as VCE Text and Traditions Units 1 to 4.

The RE Learning Area will be introducing a new subject for Year 9 students to consider in 2023, with the semester subject 鈥楻eligious Education in Philosophy鈥� being offered along the VCE options and the Faith and Liturgy subject. Students will be given the opportunity to ask religious questions using philosophical skills that are transferable to most subjects with analytical skills and philosophical skills being a focus.

We are also trialling Pedagogy of Encounter teaching strategies in some of our middle school RE classes of which you will hear more about over time. You can go to this link to find out more:

**** 

My thanks to Year 9 student, Hayley Laukens for recently sharing her religious art work 'Healing and Hope' and theological reflection, and to Mr Gould for giving students the opportunity to explore the topic in creative ways.

Year 9 Unit: 鈥楬ope and Healing鈥�

"In 9 RE Term 2 we have studied the sacrament of reconciliation. My painting tries to mirror this sacrament by having many elements represent the process of reconciliation. There are two figures in this painting, the one on the ground portrays the person participating in the sacrament and the other standing beside it is a Priest. Figure one is on the ground in a position of prayer. While they are doing this you can see a streak of light coming down from the top leading to the person praying. The white line is used to represent God and illustrates the connection between God and us when we ask for forgiveness through reconciliation. That he reaches out to us when we pray as he speaks and shows us how to repent. This painting dives into a deeper meaning using colour theory. The colour scheme is an array of yellow, oranges and whites. The dark orange that borders most of the painting is a representation of a negative mindset. The white beam is used to illustrate God, he is viewed as a positive and holy figure, I used white to represent him as it is the lightest/purest colour. The gradient surrounding the figures means when a light (God) is present the darkness can disappear, the figure is now enclosed in light which is seen as a safe colour, this is in comparison to feeling safe when in God's presence. To condense everything just said, this painting is an opening to the spiritual level of reconciliation as it demonstrates what we can鈥檛 see, but rather feel when we do this sacrament. It shows when you repent and turn to God you no longer have to fight the darkness, you can let go of your sins and be accepted into God's arms again." 

Bernard Green
Religious Education Learning Area Leader

Next week (1st to 5th August), the College is looking forward to welcoming our first Author in Residence, Mr Mark Greenwood, who will be based in the ARC (Aquinas Resource Centre). 

Mark is a self confessed "history hunter" and has written over 20 books from searching for lost explorers and glittering treasures, delving into mysteries and solving famous cold cases in every corner of Australia. His books have won numerous awards and have taken him on exciting journeys of discovery.

Mark will be talking specifically with Year 7 and 8 students as part of their English lessons, to share his creative writing 'secrets'. His presentations have an English and History focus and will cover background information about his books and how he writes - the process, characters, settings, research, inspirations and adventures, language use, choices etc.

Some sessions will focus on the creation of a specific text from original idea through to the stages involved in publication with short writing exercises /prompts to inspire critical thinking and creative writing.

You can learn more about Mark here: , and chat to your Year 7 or 8 student about it next week.

The ARC team

Last Friday, a group of ten Year 9 and 10 girls attended the 鈥淕irls in Physics day鈥� organised by and held at the University of Melbourne.

The purpose of the day was to inform girls about the possibilities in Physics, from further education choices to employment opportunities, as well as to introduce some recent developments in research made at the University.

The day commenced with a talk on using diffraction to understand the behaviour of DNA in cells, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of scientific research. The girls then listened to a talk from who works at the University and has recently published the book 鈥溾��. Suzie talked about her life in science and her struggles with feeling she always had to prove herself as a woman in a male dominated sector. 

The afternoon was filled with demonstrations of Lenz鈥檚 Law and a workshop on quantum computing, followed by another presentation on the challenges faced by women in science, how these can be overcome and advice on how to make choices that will keep future options open. 

The girls had an excellent day and many expressed interest in attending some of the held for the public at the University.

David Mulholland
Teacher

On Tuesday the Year 9 and 10 students who are learning Chinese went to the city to have a fun day out and get a better understanding of Chinese culture, history and cuisine. In the Chinese Museum we learnt about Chinese history in fun ways such as walking through a boat that shook to represent the rigorous journey that many Chinese people had to make to get to Australia. After learning about Chinese culture we went to a herbal shop and got to see Chinese herbs that are used for making tea and for medicinal purposes. After that we went to a Chinese restaurant and got to enjoy some delicious Chinese cuisine. With food such as sweet pork, pork and vegetarian dumplings and noodles.
Emmanuel Njoku

"We did many activities such as going on a tour in the Chinese Museum, participating in a kung fu course, enjoying a variety of Chinese dishes and visiting a Chinese herbal shop. During the tour of the museum we learned about the gold rush, traditions, activities the Chinese people liked to play and the foods they enjoyed. We saw lots of pictures and items collected over the years from generations of Chinese families. I enjoyed learning about the Chinese culture and history of them in Australia because it is also a part of my culture and it was great to learn about what my ancestors went through for me to be living my life today."
Mia Chen

"We went to the Chinese museum and learned a lot about how they came to Australia and the struggles they had to get to the goldfields. They brought a lot of new foods and inventions to our country as well. We learnt a lot about Chinese culture and how they have introduced so many things to Australia. "
Aidan Burt

"During our time on the Chinese excursion, we visited the Chinese museum in the city. We learnt about the history of the Chinese people during the 1850s Gold Rush in Australia and we learnt about Chinese culture. We learnt about how the Chinese got to Australia to find gold and all the difficult problems they had to go through. We were shown the Chinese dragon and how it is important in representing Chinese culture. The museum taught us about all the different things that have been brought to Australia from Chinese culture. After all this we even learnt a bit of Kung Fu! Overall the Chinese excursion was a great experience."
Angus Than

VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operations is an exciting subject! Each week there is an action packed class, plus the thrill of the Restaurant Night program where students run evenings for guests and the public, such as the recent extra large Greek inspired night with over 90 guests served and fed. In addition, each year the students are treated to an excursion including lunch and experiences from hospitality industry experts. This year two excursions took place to Melbourne city for different groups of students.

The Mullum Cluster students met in the city at Flinders Street station then walked to Southgate for yum cha at Red Emperor Restaurant. They then when on for a behind the scenes guided tour of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (the largest kitchens in the southern hemisphere. Students then completed an observation activity, in small groups, in the cafes and laneways in city.

Aquinas timetable students met in the city at Flinders Street station. They then took a tram to the Queen Victoria Market to look at seasonal produce and ingredients they might not have seen before. Students completed a observation activity, in small groups, in the cafes and laneways in the City and then had an amazing lunch at Maha Restaurant. Final student had a behind the scenes guided tour of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

Students got so much out of the excursion. It is more than just a lunch out, it is also a chance for students to get a real insight into the industry and be inspired by industry experts. This can then be built upon in future classes and students can put what they have learnt into practice during the Restaurant Nights they run.

Some of the students comments about the excursion: 

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I could eat so much at yum cha…鈥�

鈥淚 thought that was the best excursion I have had in secondary school! Looking at the kitchens (at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre鈥� I was like a kid in a candy store!鈥� 

鈥淚 liked the food, I am usually picky, but it was very nice I even tasted the octopus tentacles at the Red Emperor鈥� 

鈥淭he food was delicious at Maha especially the breads covered in Za鈥檃tar they were as soft as doughnuts鈥� 

You are always invited to enjoy the VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operations students at a Restaurant Night. Bookings are essential www.aquinas.vic.edu.au/events/restaurant-night-2022

Owen Stott
Director, Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre

Congratulations to Class of '21 student Tanisha Wu, and current Year 12 student, Kaelan Boundy, on receiving a Premier's VCE Award last night in recognition of achieving a perfect score in a VCE subject. We are all very proud of our students' outstanding achievements.

/news/premiers-vce-award

Congratulations also to Year 11 student, Gemma O'Donnell who has been selected on the Team Vic Basketball 18 Years and under Blue Team to represent SSV at the School Sport Australia Basketball Championship later this year. I'm sure you will make us all very proud.

And don't forget to tune into the Commonwealth Games, specifically on August 2nd to cheer on our current Year 11 student, Anthony Jordan, who will be competing in the T45-T47 100m event. 

Over this fortnight, our Year 8 students have enjoyed Summit Camp. They were challenged with abseiling, walking on nails, patting snakes and the infamous and very muddy Monster Course. The smiles on the faces of the students show what an exhilarating time they have had.

Here are a few student reflections from the students of Rice house:

"Year 8 camp was a totally new experience for me to branch out and see what I am capable of. I went to camp not really wanting to go with a thought of it being boring and that it's the same sort of deal like every other camp I have been on. By the end of camp , I was totally wrong. This camp honestly felt life changing in a way. I put myself out there and participated in every single activity, and I can say with all my energy that I gave everything my best effort. 

The groups and staff at the summit were so supportive and energetic and would lighten up the room whenever they walked in. Everything was about having fun and 鈥樷�榞etting comfortable being uncomfortable鈥欌�� was one of the main 鈥榢ey鈥� focuses they had on camp. One of the many highlights for me during camp at the summit was Abseiling an 18m tower, climbing through the ladders and trapdoors with a light wind, and anticipating every step getting closer and closer, higher and higher until you finally reach the top and what a view! One of the most spectacular things I have ever seen , and my anxiety of climbing those ladders went away. The view made me feel comfortable and the conversations with your mates up there and the music playing in the background was super unforgettable. As for abseiling down the wall… it was epic! Hitting the ground as I ended felt pretty good and I was so proud of myself. 

One of the things I will never ever forget is the mud run. My goodness, the most fun I have ever had!  We grew so much as a team laughed, smiled and focused all at the same time. Every obstacle and path was so well put together and such a perfect way to end the camp. On our second lap, I was tired but we pushed through and ended with a great end time. We all held each other up and motivated each other through the entire course and grew this sense of teamwork I have never seen before. By far this was the best camp I have been in and I can very easily say that I left with zero regrets."
Aria Conway

"I had a really good experience at the Year 8 Camp at the Summit over the three days I was there. I was able to push myself to complete some tough activities that I didn鈥檛 feel comfortable doing. The leaders at the camp were really great because they helped me get through some difficult challenges, and I was able to step out of my comfort zone.

 I had a really fun time during the Mud Run because our group learnt to work together and use teamwork to complete a lot of the obstacles. It was a tough long course of muddy obstacles and freezing cold water. Everyone in my group was supportive of others and helped each other when needed. The obstacles were fun and I was able to push myself to get through some of the harder ones. Some of my favourite activities were the Sky Bridge, the Flying Fox, Inflatables, Snakes and Nails and even though I found it hard I enjoyed the Abseiling. This is because they were really fun and I was able to have a good time with my friends. Overall I had a really great time at camp and I was able to step out of my comfort zone."
Fletcher Haughie 

"Our 3-day Year 8 Camp at the Summit provoked many different challenges and feelings and from my point of view, the thing that I was most sceptical of, inevitably challenged me the most. This made me realise that it is all about your attitude towards something and in my case, I was very unenthusiastic towards the 鈥楳onster Course鈥�, which caused me to be challenged during it too. The takeaway from this experience was to be as open-minded as possible toward something that your mind instantly categorises as 鈥榖ad鈥�.

Continuing with the theme of 鈥榗hallenges鈥�, I faced and overcame some in 鈥楢bseiling鈥�. Originally, I was carefree and nonchalant when it came to this activity. But as I reached the top, I felt a slight shockwave of panic come over me, causing me to be overcautious when my turn had come. I was too focused on holding onto the ropes that I hadn鈥檛 had enough time to relax and enjoy this activity. 

Although I regret being overly cautious in this situation, I now know that this extra caution is unnecessary and that my attention should be focused on multiple other different things so it is possible for me to appreciate all aspects of abseiling. The atmosphere of the camp was comfortable and safe as I felt I was surrounded by those who I know would have supported me if I was unable to complete something. They cheered me on from the ground as I went down the abseiling structure."
Amalie Fricke

"Year 8  Summit 3 day Camp is one of the best camps I have been on. The activities we did were Abseiling, Sky Bridge, Flying Fox, Nails Walk, Snake, Inflatable Obstacle Course, Human Foosball and The Monster Course. 

Two of my favourite activities were Human Foosball and the Inflatable Obstacle Course with both of these activities they were fun and exciting. In The Human Foosball activity we worked in 2 teams and it was great to bring groups together and have fun.  The one thing that I struggled with was the Abseiling as I realised I was afraid of heights so didn't end up completing this challenge after I reached the first ladder. Over all the Summit Camp was fantastic, lots of fun was had and I am so glad I got to enjoy this camp with my friends."
Mikayla Aloi 

"Something I found entertaining was the sky bridge. I was really confident doing it so I was able to run across it super fast. It was also fun when you fell over as you had to pull yourself up and regain your balance.

Something I found challenging was the abseiling not because I'm scared of heights or anything, I've just never done something like this before so I didn't know what to do.  I didn't have many of my friends in my group but that didn't stop my group from being enjoyable. Everyone was so kind and encouraging and willing to give everything a go. They were so encouraging during every obstacle and challenge."
Max Beckett 

In the last week of Term 2, a small group of Year 10 and 11 students embarked on the "trip of a lifetime" and headed to the Northern Territory for an indigenous immersion experience. Here is a excerpt of the blog that the group kept...

Day 3: Menngen Homeland and Moon Dreaming Sacred Rock Art

Today we started off the day with some yummy avocado and feta on toast. We got ready and went down to the river to have our Welcome to Country from Emma and Rebecca. This made us feel more at home. We met Bill and he told us a bit about himself. Bill is 92 and has had many jobs like making shoes and saddles but his favourite job was being a stockman. We were then driven on a 4WD to the rocky outcrop called Moon Dreaming. We walked to some beautiful rock art and Bill told us some stories about the art, tradition and history of his culture which was captivating and helped us to learn more about the moons significance. The moon tipping means there鈥檚 lots of rain coming. We then got to do some painting on canvases using the art as inspiration. 

Day 4: Menngen Homeland

The sunrise was really nice this morning, for those who woke up early. We had a debrief and talked about how food shortages in the Northern Territory are incredibly different from the ones we experience in Melbourne. Bill joined us for breakfast and he had some good conversations about the differences within our culture. Today's main activity was fishing! Before this, Bill told us about his experience with the 鈥榳alk off鈥�. This is the time when the Aboriginals refused to work as they were unfairly not being paid for their hard work. It was really interesting to hear the story from someone who experienced it first hand, it鈥檚 also very frustrating to think about how they were treated as a minority as it is such a terrible thing to think that someone could do that to another human for such a long time. It also lead us to think about how this is still very relevant in today鈥檚 society and how there is still so much room for change. We also made Johnny cakes with the help of Bill, a similar traditional food like damper. We had it with a combination of toppings including jam and nutella.

Day 5: Menngen - Nauiyu

This morning was so beautiful that we all decided, today would be the day to wake up when the crows call at 0600. We had to have a change of plans as an elder had passed in the community in Banatjarl, so instead the plan was to go to Nauiyu, (Daly River). As the sun dropped we were welcomed by some local musicians and enjoyed some live music by a guy with an acoustic guitar and a woman singing along. After listening to some old goldies we had a few from our own group perform for all of us. After those lovely performances, the sky was already dark and it was time to call it a day.

Day 6: Nauiyu

At 9 o鈥檆lock, we left camp for Nauiyu, the community we were visiting. We were warmly welcomed by the traditional owners there, and helped the town out by picking up rubbish for around 10 minutes. We then went fishing, which was when we met Miriam-Rose, a recent receiver of the Senior Australian of the Year Award, for her contribution to the education of Indigenous children around Australia. She was a true inspiration to us and her community. Afterwards we enjoyed lunch which was bucket nachos and then played a fun footy match against the locals who beat us with ease. 

Day 7: Nauiyu

Left at 9:00 ish (we really have no idea what time or date it is these days), to go into Nauiyu and played footy with some school kids while we were waiting for the rest of the group to join us. The kids were much better at footy then we were though. When we all joined back up together we went over to the Miriam-Rose building to do some lovely painting. Our prompt was to paint what we felt with a story or meaning behind the painting. Miriam-Rose then told us the dreaming story of the rainbow serpent and its meaning. Miriam-Rose spoke to us about the creation and use of ochre which is paint made from ochre sand stone rocks. She also explained to us how aboriginal paintings have lasted so many years on the rocks from the aboriginals using tree sap to preserve the paintings. After this some of the group went back to camp to eat ice cream and chill out while the other half played footy with some of the local boys. Once again for the second day in a row we were absolutely smashed in the footy match by the locals even with some of them on our team. The pool opened at 2:30pm so we all took the opportunity to go cool off and have a swim with some kids and the footy boys. Afterwards we all came back to camp and split up into our duty groups to have a reflective discussion of our experiences so far. Each group had a different topic, the topics included were: Reconciliation, Intergenerational trauma, Affirmative action and he Uluru Statement of the Heart. We will share these reflections with the group later tonight around the camp fire.

Day 8: Nauiyu

Today we did the 鈥楻ed Lily Lagoon鈥� walk. With Kathleen and Shirlene as guides, we started the 40 minute walk. It鈥檚 lucky we decided to do it early, as it would have been much harder in the hot weather later in the day. We found a water buffalo skeleton, and while inspecting it, we caught sight of a live one not too far off from us. Luckily, it passed us calmly and we went on. Owen then gave a talk about how you can eat every part of the water lily- it was actually very interesting, some people tried a petal. This also gave us insight about bush tucker that the First Nation people collect, very different from our many artificial 鈥榙elicacies鈥�. Shirlene then came round and gave us bead bracelets that Cheryl and her daughter kindly made for us, they are very comfortable. 

The band that played at the camp a couple of days ago played together again. Everyone was eager to watch as our own Grace, Tom, Ben and James were known to be playing some songs. With a great end to the day, we slept our last night at the Nauiyu homeland with good thoughts in mind.

The 麻豆视频AV Parents & Friends Network is very excited to announce their inaugural Trivia Night will be held on Saturday 10th September. This event will be jam packed with brain-tingling questions, prize-winning games, and side-splitting laughter all for a good cause...raising much needed funds to help the staff and students of Trinity College, Lismore start to rebuild their lives and facilities after the devastating floods earlier this year.

Gather your friends and put a table of 10 together! It will have started to warm up by then so it's a great opportunity to come out of hibernation.

Book your tickets here: 

This term, many of the tertiary education institutions are holding Open Days. Year 11 and 12 students are encouraged to head along to these Open Days of the institutions they are interested in to help with preparing for their future path.

Find details about .

Catholic School Parents Victoria are excited to launch their very first edition of CSPV Parent Connect flyers and CSPV Connect email updates for parents. 

Each month we will be sharing, inviting and inspiring parents with information to support their most important role to guide and support children's learning and wellbeing.

In this first issue we have included:

• access to a free video from SchoolTV on building children's confidence and resilience
• information about the new Senior Secondary Vocational learning pathways with a parent information sheet from VCAA
• Parent tip sheet and information from CCYP on the new 11 child safe standards and what to look for in a child safe organisation
• information from Life Saving Victoria on the benefits of learning water safety as part of the school curriculum and a quick survey for parents to complete so we can continue to develop resources to support you to engage in learning with your primary aged child about water safety
• invitation for you to nominate a CSPV parent representative for your school or a parent member for CSPV in your diocese
• invitation to help us redesign the CSPV website for you as valued parents of children in Catholic schools.

The CSPV Parent Connect flyers cover the new vocational pathways for senior secondary levels with informative flyers designed for parents by VCAA and a full page flyer on developing resilience of children.

We hope you enjoy the information we share. Please also share with other parents as you guide and support children on their learning journey.

 to download - CSPV Connect

 to download the CSPV Parent Connect Secondary 

The 麻豆视频AV Business Directory is almost ready to go live. Now is the time to submit your business for inclusion in the Business Directory ready for launch. The Directory is maintained by the 麻豆视频AV Parents and Friends Network, and is open to current parents and alumni of the College.

Please use this link to submit your application.

Any questions can be submitted to businessdirectory@aquinas.vic.edu.au.