糖心vlog官网

End of Term

This is the last edition of The Lighthouse for Term 2 and we finish the semester with a hive of activity at the College.  

Senior Years

Our Year 12 students have been participating in a Retreat on Phillip Island and taking this opportunity to catch their breath and reflect on the last few months at this mid-point of the year. The activities on retreat invite participants to learn more about their personal qualities as well as build community as they gather together for one of the last times as a cohort and share aspects of their spirituality and common bond. Our Year 11 students have been applying themselves diligently to their end of semester exams and our Year 10 students commenced their Futures Program which will continue when we return in Term 3.

Middle Years

In a very full week, Year 9 students undertook their special education block which includes a rotation by team through the city project and the It Starts with Me program at Aquinas. Year 8 students have been working on Global Green Projects as they develop an understanding of the need for astute stewardship of our environment and natural resources. Year 7 students have been involved in our Connect Program and have enjoyed LOTE Day, Humanities and STEAM activities as part of a program to help students connect their learning to real world challenges.

Term 3 Commencement

Term 3 commences for students on Tuesday, July 13 and this is a Day 2. Monday, July 12 is a designated Staff Professional Learning Day and is therefore a student free day.

Staffing News

Ms Lexie Cull will leave Aquinas to join the Administration Team at St Mary鈥檚 College for the Deaf from next term. Ms Cull is in her 21st year at Aquinas and has provided outstanding support to all in the Middle Years - students, staff and families. Ms Cull will be a wonderful asset to St Marys and sadly missed at Aquinas. Mr Steve Marriott has decided that it is time to retire and pursue interests beyond his work life including some long awaited travel when the borders reopen. Mr Marriott has been at Aquinas for the last 18 years in the Science faculty predominantly.

Ms Dani Lorkin and Ms Anne Grieves also commence periods of Long Service Leave, and Ms Rebecca Crozier commences parental leave. Ms Sasha Tukavkin will replace Ms Crozier as Justice and Outreach Leader. We also welcome Ms Shani Sheeran (English/Hums), Ms Ruby Parsons (RE/PE),  Ms Jade Goss (RE/English/Hums) and Ms Sarah Lochner (Science) who will be joining us in Term 3.

End of Semester Reports

Semester 1 reports will be made available on Friday evening July 16, the first week back after the Term break.  To access your student鈥檚 report, you will require your username and password for the Parent Access Module (PAM): .  If you cannot recall these login details, please contact the College Office on 9259 3000 and we will assist.  Parents will continue to be able to see results and feedback task by task in PAM as soon as the teacher completes the assessment.

Time to Check and Update Details

I ask all Parents/Guardians to log on to the Community Portal via the College website and take the time to check that your own personal details are correct: for example, your residential address, your occupation information, your personal email and phone number. We require the most up to date information prior to the August Census and, most importantly, to ensure that we can contact you. Any changes can be made via this portal and you use the same log in details that  you have for accessing PAM. We ask that this information is checked and updated before the end of July.

Opening Hours during the Holidays

The College is closed during the first week of holidays, however students are welcome to work in the Aquinas Resource Centre (The ARC) during the second week between the hours of 8.30am and 4.00pm.  It should be noted that this is the only supervised area at the College during the holidays and that there will be no teacher supervision of the College grounds, nor will crossing supervisors be in place.  Office Hours during the holidays will be 8.30am to 3.30pm. 

Year 7 Enrolment Reminder

A reminder to our families that applications for enrolment in Year 7 for 2023 close on August 20 and that we will not presume you wish to enrol your Year 5 child just because you have an older child currently enrolled at the College. Please contact the College Registrar, Ms Madeleine Kalla on 9259 3008 should you have any questions.

GAT Update

The General Achievement Test (GAT) for all students studying VCE Unit 3 / 4 studies has been rescheduled to Thursday, July 29. Due to the logistics of staging this test at the College, the only students who attend on this date are those who are undertaking the GAT. 

It has been a very demanding term and the disruption caused by the lockdown over recent weeks has created uncertainty and apprehension for many. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our students, supported by you as parents and guardians, to stay focused and on track.  I would also like to acknowledge the work of all staff at Aquinas 鈥� both teaching and non-teaching. Their commitment to ensuring that we continue to develop as an outstanding Catholic school is evident in every aspect of life at Aquinas.  

 I wish all members of our community a relaxing break.

Darren Atkinson
Principal

Reflecting on Semester 1 and the many gifts we shared 

It is safe to say that the year 2021 started with great anticipation and hope. Despite each year always being a fresh start for most of us, it is certain that this feeling was strong at the conclusion of 2020, with the year ahead looked at as a start to the journey back to some normality with degrees of optimism and hope. Quite possibly, in your households, most of your loved ones looked forward to a year in which the simple things that emerged during the lockdowns would continue to drive the appreciation for life and the gifts that were shared as family and as members of our communities. The opening of borders, the advancements in science as experts continued to battle the dangers of COVID-19 and all the possibilities and opportunities that emerged from the many challenges that 2020 presented were all motivating factors that may have impacted upon our vision for the year ahead. A whole school semester has passed since the start of the year and the cold of winter has truly settled in. And yet again, in the last 6 months, we have had to make adjustments to life as we continue to battle the dangers that the pandemic poses. Thankfully, our ability to respond to the imminent lockdowns is improved each time that we return to them. 

As the end of the term is upon us, it is important to take time to reflect on life and cherish what was a good school term for most. As a leader at the College, I feel extremely confident when I see how much the staff trust the direction we take as we try to continue to offer the best possible education for the students. Recently, during the last lockdowns, most students readapted to remote learning, and the majority returned to school with mature consideration and adherence to the restrictions imposed by health officials. Although the transitions in and out of lockdowns are not entirely smooth, the community responds positively and appears to improve in its readiness each time. 

Reflecting on the semester, I appreciate the value of resilience amongst the students, not as something that is missing from them, but rather something that emerges when it is needed. The continued interruptions to learning due to the lockdowns can be challenging and has led to deficits in learning, yet it is pleasing to see that many students have taken advantage of the support structures available to them. We often focus on the absence of resilience or ability to adapt when referring to children and young people, yet, some of them also show that they have the ability to make the most of their chances when they need to. I urge you to use this period of time to point out the great progress they have made so far this year. Please read the semester reports and engage in discussions about goal setting for the next semester. Our tutoring program has assisted students catch up on their progress, our pastoral teams and pathways staff have assisted students make informed decisions about their immediate futures and other support services such as ESS, the YFC and Health Centre continue to offer specific assistance for students to engage in their learning. 

In the last few days, you would have received an invitation from the College to attend a very important event for all families. Andrew Fuller, a renowned clinical psychologist recognised for his expertise in adolescent development will be delivering a to explore how to assist in the building of mentally healthy young people during times of adversity. Andrew Fuller provides an insightful overview of how resilience can be built by young people by exploring how the nature of our everyday human emotions leads to an understanding of why we think, act and behave the way we do. Please refer to the communication sent to you regarding the presentation. Due to restrictions, it is important to . 

During the last lockdown, there was much uncertainty about how this past week would look like. All the planning which had been put together needed changing and readjustment. Many of the adjustments were made as a result of border closures, travel limitations and many other factors. Thankfully, some activities were allowed to proceed, and it has been extremely positive to see staff make the most of the opportunities rather than being focused on the limitations we all faced. The result from the adjustments and strategic approach by the school to maintain commitment to the activities has provided positive results. I visited the Year 12 Retreat in Phillip Island and it was wonderful to see our young women and men lead in their personal growth through reflection in their belonging and identity as members of the College community. I attended a day at the Year 9 City experience for MacKillop and equally, students engaged in the activities positively. As I wandered around the City, it was refreshing to see the students on task, making the most of their programs, despite some activities needing to be readjusted due to the restrictions still in place. The Connect Program at Year 7 and Global Green at Year 8 experiences have been engaging and students have taken up all opportunities to grow and develop thinking through inquiry. Year 10 and 11 students needed to adjust their programs but will enjoy their City experience/Kakadu trip and their futures/pathways experience in Term 3. The students were able to finalise formal assessment and the College launched some aspects of pathways development. Special thanks to the students and staff for making all this possible in such a positive way. 

Many in our community, who have had to, or perhaps continue to, live without electrical power, water, gas, while dealing with the damages that the aggressive winds delivered to their homes are symbols of hope and optimism. Seeing students return, staff continuing to meet their responsibilities while contributing to the College despite the setbacks is yet another reminder of how resilient we can be when facing adversity. In reflecting back on the semester, it is clear that the Aquinas community is resilient and strong, making the most of what is left after the many setbacks that emerged. It is time to sit back and congratulate the students on the semester and their individual achievements, daring them to continue in their journey with aspirations, hopefully adopting an endless thirst for knowledge. For those that have struggled in any way, offer them the opportunity to seek support and guidance from their teachers and other staff at the College. Their desire to succeed should drive their school engagement. 

I hope that the semester has been a positive experience for you and your families, setting the path for the rest of the school year to be the positive lead up to the return to normality and prosperity that may have been desired in January 2021. All the best for Semester 2 and may God bless you and your family always.

Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Deputy Principal

In the lead up to the break between semesters I want to make a slight departure from the way I usually write. (When I say slight, there will be references to studies and published authors later, but not at the beginning). I want to take a short personal detour. In the last thirteen weeks I have moved from minor crisis to minor crisis. In March I fell off my bike and fractured my wrist. As the cast was removed and rehab began so did lockdown and when that ended the power in my neighbourhood was cut off by a storm and, at the point of writing, still has not returned. I am not telling you this for sympathy or inviting your concern, the staff and students at Aquinas have been great in ensuring that these crises can be overcome, but rather to emphasise how when ones everyday routine is lost it can make many activities that are usual seem more onerous. When it鈥檚 too dark or slippery to exercise, the TV doesn鈥檛 work and the home computer needs power, you start to think about what are the essentials in life. What do we really need to do daily to maintain our equilibrium? For students who have a two week break, following exams and Activities Week, it might be a chance to think about what is important.

Finnish educationalist Pasi Sahlberg (I told you)  believes that one of the critical things in development is learning how to play. Apparently in Finland play is emphasised as part of the curriculum but also as part of what we need to do as human beings. In his words:

"I often visit schools and meet parents who ask me what is wrong with the fact that their kids seem to spend up to eight hours a day on their smartphones and other digital devices.

First, I say that there is no point demonising smartphones. The problem is not the device but what we do with it. But parents, schools and policymakers have not caught up on what devices, which practically all teenagers now have, are 鈥渞eplacing鈥� in the lives of children and what this leads to.

Quite simply, smartphones and digital media have taken over the time that children used to have for reading and playing outdoors. And all of the benefits of that play time gained cumulatively over the years in a child鈥檚 life have been lost as a result."

The problem that is expressed here is not going to be mastered in a two week break. Sahlberg offers a three point plan for incorporating play (two of them are about what schools do). The middle one that might be worth keeping in mind during the break, 鈥淭wo, at home, every child should have outdoor play time of at least one hour every day.鈥� 

That might be something we can aim for during the two weeks away from school. It has been easy to let a fracture, a lockdown and a power failure distract me from what is important. Something so straightforward and innocent as play, or at least the time for it, still needs to be a goal for me to ensure it happens. On the break I am going to aim to have at least one hour outside on each day. Maybe the Aquinas students can too.

and see more of his work at

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

I am writing this on Thursday morning at the Year 12 retreat. Against all our doubts we are here, at Phillip Island, on a spectacularly beautiful morning. Excitement to be away on camp has pulsated throughout the student group and they are happily completing activities. Our theme on retreat is about gratitude, a time to reflect on the influences in our lives, past and present.

In the coming days, the scripture readings are focused on people having faith. The healing of a leper, the ill women, sick child and injured servant. Jesus is continually saying - 鈥測our faith has made you well鈥�, 鈥渄o not be afraid, only have faith鈥�, and 鈥測our faith has restored you鈥�. In these stories and many others Jesus is reminding us to keep trying to have faith, that through faith there is hope. It is our faith and hope that help strengthen our love for those around us and we can demonstrate our love through gratitude.

Reflecting on retreat, I realise how much faith and hope can influence our lives positively. Sometimes having faith and hope can be challenging, especially when we are living in such a rapidly changing environment of numbers, masks and lockdowns. Yet looking at the Year 12鈥檚 today, facing these challenges and keeping faith can result in great joy. Sometimes we can feel like faith is not enough, as what we have hoped for has not occurred - maybe this just challenges us to not give up, find another path or to look deeper into our faith. 

As we head into the holidays, I pray that we can all strengthen our faith, grow in hope and develop a greater sense of love. In the words of St Paul to the Corinthians, 鈥淎nd now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.鈥� 

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

Birds in Backyards Winter Survey June-July Holiday enrichment opportunity

Get comfortable and counting these school holidays as the birds in backyard winter survey is on. It only takes 20 minutes to help Scientists better understand Australian birds and their daily lives. Between now and the end of July, simply spend time in a nearby outdoor space and count how many birds you see of each species and the kind off habitat they are using. If it鈥檚 too cold to go outside, you can watch them through your window, easy. Log your survey at Birdata either online or through the app.
Register here:  

 Some bird species to get you started:

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Gardening & Chook News

The vegetable garden beds recently planted by Middle School students are currently growing rocket, snow peas, chard, silverbeet, cauliflower and carrots. The students have worked hard to weed, mulch, plant and water our vegetable seedlings and seeds.  It is exciting to watch the plants grow and decide how they will taste growing chemical free.

The votes have been counted and it鈥檚 time to announce the official chook names. Thank you to all those who participated in naming the chooks. All five hens are laying eggs, some daily and others have a more relaxed egg schedule. They are all very fond of free ranging and exploring the school grounds.

As we come to a close for Term 2 we have seen some wonderful opportunities to reflect on and many more wonderful things to look forward to next term. Reflecting on the year so far we have had outstanding performance opportunities at the inaugural All state Jazz Festival with outstanding results from both our vocal and stage band programs. We have also had some excellent in house performances including the annual Not Just Jazz concert which saw many students perform to the community in a relaxed Jazz Club vibe.  The event sold out again this year in record time. 

Looking forward to next term we'll hit the ground running with music camp from 15th - 17th  July, which sees the core ensembles including choirs, concert band and guitar ensembles heading to Phillip Island to attend rehearsals and activities aimed at developing performance skills for all our Years 7-12 music students. This year there will be over 100 students attending and being directed by the College鈥檚 ensemble program teachers. The ensembles camp will assist the preparation for concerts and competitions in term 3 including Showcase, Royal South Street, Victorian Schools Music Festival as well as College performance events.

The Music department would like to continue to encourage all students to take up music lessons here at the College and will be offering further recruitment opportunities in term 3 for new students.  If you are interested in starting lessons, please contact myself or Trish Thompson, our Music Secretary.

Jared Campbell

Music Program Coordinator

Getting Ahead in English

Semester One has been busier than ever and English is often a subject where assessment can sneak up on students.The end of a Semester means that teachers are frantically correcting work with feedback coming through thick and fast on SIMON. With assessment finishing and clean slates awaiting students in Term 3 this can be an opportunity for reflection on how students are progressing. With this in mind, students often ask me what they can do to get ahead in English in order to be prepared and also for some fail safe ways that identify how they can improve.

Know your texts

The single most important thing that students need to do in English is to know the texts before they come to class. If they come to class with an understanding of the general plot and who the characters are then they are ready to analyse. When students do not know what has happened or who was involved in the text under study, lessons become more about superficial understanding where we simply recount the events and motivations of characters. To really improve in English students need to read the novel and engage with the world of the text in order to be able to discuss and analyse it. 

Students sometimes feel that English in the way it is taught lacks relevance to their lives. But at its core English is a study in literacy. We are testing how well you have understood what you have read and how well you can infer meaning from the action that takes place. These skills should be easily transferable to the real world as students search for the deeper meaning of the world around them which is filled with texts and our own encounters with others. Creating meaning and exploring why people behave the way they do is an essential skill that we all need to develop.

So with that being said:

• Read the texts being studied
• Contemplate the meaning behind the actions and motivations of characters
• Engage with the world of the texts you are reading

And then your English teachers will help you to review these understandings with a more sophisticated lens informed by the context and authorial intention.

Acting on Feedback

Another area that students can really benefit from approaching in a more meaningful way is in the way they manage their feedback. Most students actively seek feedback from their teachers and really enjoy specific annotations on their work. But, often this is where they leave it. But, feedback needs to be acted upon. Students should process their feedback and talk about it with their teachers and their parents in order to improve. Teachers spend hours writing comments and completing annotations, students should spend some time rewriting and perfecting the work that was submitted. All too often students see the work as done and that it no longer requires any more attention. 

Consider a sporting analogy here… If you were learning to shoot a basketball through a hoop how often would you do it? Would you shoot the ball from the same spot until you got it through the hoop? Would you listen to your coach about the placement of your hands on the ball, the critique on your form as you lift the ball into the air? Of course you would. Writing is no different. You need to practice the same movement from the same position in order to get a different result. Students should apply this mantra - master the skills of writing by rewriting and editing their work once the feedback has been applied.

So with that being said:

• Read the feedback in consultation with someone else who can explain it to you if you need.
• Rewrite the work you have submitted for feedback and resubmit it asking if you have mastered the skills that you were asked to work on.
• Read your work aloud when you are practising, you will generally hear the issues with your writing before you see them.
• Keep track of the feedback you are given on a particular piece of work. Look for the trends in the feedback and identify the areas you need to work on.

I hope the winter school holidays are restorative and that everyone has time to recharge before we return in mid July. But make sure that you get ahead with your reading and take stock of the feedback that has been offered at the end of the Semester.

What will your child be asked to read in Semester 2 English?

Year 7:   Identity and Belonging - Progress Reading Program

Year 8:   War Literature - Progress Reading Program
              Invictus - Film by Clint Eastwood

Year 9:   The Help - Film by Tate Taylor
             Animal Farm - George Orwell
             Australian Texts - Progress Reading Program

Year 10: Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey
             To Kill a Mockingbird - Film by Robert Mulligan

Year 11: The Longest Memory - Fred D鈥橝guiar
             One Night the Moon - Film by Rachel Perkins

Year 12: The Crucible - Arthur Miller
             The Dressmaker - Rosalie Ham

Alyce Cudmore
English Learning Area Leader

The Year 7 Connect program is a week long applied learning experience. This program provides students the opportunity to connect learning from the classroom to the real-world, connect new experiences to generate new ideas, connect individual subject areas together to create solutions to real-life challenges, and connect to the lives and teachings of our Patron Saints to build our sense of self and community.

Rachel Crawley
Head Middle Years

"Cooking with science was interesting in the lesson we cooked marshmallows but with a different recipe we used a powder that you wouldn't think about at all and over all it was very interesting."
Dylan Lucas

"I really liked that you get a surprise each day with what your doing, it鈥檚 always different."
Will Adams

"I liked how food & science were mixed together with fun activities that we are learning in. Loved making marshmallows."
Mitch Rossitto

"I liked talking to other homerooms to find out what they鈥檇 done & what we get to do next."
Edward Leahy

LOTE (Languages other than English) Day is a great opportunity for the Year 7 students to experience a range of culturally influenced activities. The students have a fun day being creative while learning a little more about the Chinese and French culture. From a friendly game of Petanique, to learning to write their name in Chinese calligraphy characters the day is always one to remember on the 糖心vlog官网 calendar, culminating in a colourful parade of costumes.

"I enjoyed LOTE Day because of the many activities we got to do like calligraphy and mime. I really enjoyed learning about both the Chinese and French culture and the traditions in their culture.

 Out of all the activities we did on LOTE Day I really enjoyed calligraphy because we got to write our own name in Chinese characters and then back them onto a piece of paper either red or blue. I also enjoyed learning about line painting. I learnt how the painting looked really weird up close but from a distance you could see it was the painting of an Eiffel tower for example. I painted a picture of a woman standing on top of some hills into the distance. 

Another activity we did on LOTE Day was mime. We got to learn about mime and watch videos of mime (one of them was Mr Bean). We also got to try some of our own mime scenarios like one person in my class mimed knitting on a really fast train. Another activity that I really enjoyed was Tai Ji. Tai Ji is a form of Chinese kung fu. I learnt level 1 of Tai Ji which was how to always start Tai Ji. I thought it flowed really well and it was so nice. At the end of Tai Ji our teacher did a dance with a fan for us and it was so cool. Her body just flowed so easily and it was so pretty to watch. 

I think it would be really cool if we got to learn a little bit of the language we haven鈥檛 done yet. Not only will it get us prepared for next semester but we can also see for ourselves how amazing the language is."
Maria Skaliotis

"As part of Connect week in the Year 7 level we had LOTE day. Chinese calligraphy was my favourite activity, this is because of the calm atmosphere in the classroom, which we learned about the history of Chinese calligraphy and how to write our names in Chinese characters. Overall, I've had a great time this week, and many of the tasks we did helped with teamwork and even independence."   
Zoe Guerin

"I really found the Chinese calligraphy and the French painting really interesting because it was a new experience for me and it was really enjoyable."
Isabelle Dougherty

Global Green is a program designed to encourage students to enquire, create and learn in a hands on environment outside of the classroom context. Students work alongside their peers across the Year 8 cohort, in facing challenges and developing solutions to current world issues. 

A focus is held on exploring the areas of social justice, sustainability and the environment on a local, national and international level. Over the period of 8 days, students will showcase their abilities to collaborate, build skills and find solutions indicative of authentic 21st century thinking and current education practices.

Students will have the opportunity to elect project briefs that interest them and will be assigned one of their options. Key outcomes and activities include team building; hands on learning as each group will design and build a prototype; writing research and scientific reports; and presenting to their teachers peers (unfortunately we were not able to present to parents this year).

It has been a busy week of Global Green and many students have stepped out of their comfort zone and risen to the challenge to create some incredible solutions to global issues. I would like to thank all the teachers and staff who participated and supported the Year 8 students on their Global Green journey.

Here is a just a snapshot of the activities over the week...

Emma Lynch
Global Green Coordinator

During remote learning students in Year 9 Social Arts have been working on their advertising posters and product tags for the Makers Market which was held on the 16th of June. Throughout this term they have designed and created ceramic collections and printed lino designs for their handmade kindness cards. The ceramic collection ranged from functional kitchenware to decorative jewellery pieces. Students raised almost $200 with all proceeds donated to Tinnies for Vinnies. 

Kathy Thompson
Teacher

"For Social Arts this semester we have been working on ceramic pieces and printmaking. Our task was to make functional art. I made two incense holders and one small dish. For my printmaking I made a mushroom with butterflies flying above it, this design can be put on cards, posters, etc. Some difficulties I came across was smoothing the edges of my ceramic pieces as much as I could, and for the printmaking it was accidentally carving too deep in places or trying to curve out the edges of the butterflies. Overall this assessment was very fun and I learned lots of new things. Both my ceramic pieces and my printmaking turned out great. I hope they will sell at the Makers Market."
Aleyna Papadopoulos 

"This term social arts has been very exciting and interesting. This is because we have been very hands on. Our class has been working on designing and creating ceramic art and handmade printed cards. Before all of the making process began, we started by drawing up many designs we thought would look cool. The next step was to bring our designs to life by using different techniques of clay. Afterwards we fired them in the kiln and lastly, painted and glazed our artwork. For the printmaking, it was a pretty similar process. First we came up with unique, intriguing drawings. Next, drew them onto the lino, traced and cut them out. Finally we rolled ink onto the pieces and printed them onto the paper. Doing the lino was challenging but very fun. It was a new experience and you had to have lots of patience to cut out the designs. Once all of our pieces had been completed, our class was then instructed to come up with posters to advertise the market stall where we will be selling our art to students and teachers. All our proceeds will then be donated to Tinnies for Vinnies."
Ella White

"This term in social arts we have been working on both ceramics and printmaking cards. For the ceramics we had to sketch out at least 3 different designs that were the same sort of theme (eg homeware etc)after that we started to make our clay product and then left them to dry, after that we started to paint our product and then we were ready to glaze them. For the printmaking cards, we had to sketch out our designs and draw it on lino, after that we had to carve them using carving tool before covering it in paint to put on some card paper."
Thomas Brown

Record labels

If you could design the album art for any music artist, who would you chose? The Year 9 Visual Communication Illustration class have been busily designing the album cover for an artist of their choice. One task during remote learning was to adapt their cover design to create a matching record label using the limited resources they have on-hand. These are some of their creations and reflections for you to enjoy.

Adriana Dujela
Teacher

鈥淢y design is inspired by one of The 1975s' album covers that they have. I used their album cover as inspiration and put my own spin on it. I used the rectangles and squares in different sizes as some of the colours are more eye catching than the others.鈥�
Bianca Alipan

鈥淚 think the contrast between the black fineliner and the white paper makes the piano stand out. I also like the asymmetry of the black keys, as pianos don鈥檛 have black keys evenly distributed.鈥�
Lincoln Barclay

鈥淚 have created a vinyl record with bright orange flames in the middle of it. I chose to draw flames because the album is called 鈥淚 See Fire鈥� so the flames relate to the title. I used a singular orange pencil to create lots of tone in the flames and a smooth blend within the flame to create a nice texture. 鈥�
Cody Boland

鈥淭his piece was inspired by the artist Fleetwood Mac and his song 鈥淐hain鈥�. Fleetwood Mac's other song and album covers are very modern and contain either people or cartoons. I鈥檝e put my own twist on these, making my design black, white and modern, but instead of people or cartoons I鈥檝e used objects -  chains and a rose.鈥�
Maddi Powell

VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operations students have to be creative and adapt quickly (or pivot using the trending term) to ensure that Restaurant Nights/Events still go ahead.

Unfortunately due to the recent 鈥淐ircuit breaker鈥� lock down a number of Restaurant Nights had to be cancelled and we apologise to the inconvenience caused to customers who booked. 

As you can see from the pictures of the Mexican lunch students are using their skills and knowledge in simulated Restaurant services to enhance their expertise.

Restaurant nights will continue throughout the year, pending on restriction levels, bookings are essential /events/restaurant-night-2021 and we would love to see you there!

Owen Stott
Director, Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre

The Aquinas Tutoring Program has been running for two terms now, and we are pleased to report that we have had a very productive semester. We have been able to work with students across all year levels, with a combination of after school, in class, and out of class tutoring. Students who have participated consistently in the program have shown marked improvements in their work and organisation, as well as their confidence in approaching tasks and in their own capabilities. We are proud of all our students and look forward to working with them in Semester 2.

Moving into Term 3 and 4, we are making one key change to the structure of the tutoring program that will impact Year 7 students only. We will no longer be running after school tutoring for Year 7 students on Monday 鈥� Thursday afternoons. The tutoring for Year 7 will move to students鈥� English and Maths classes, during class time. This means that each Homeroom will have a tutor working with students in at least 1 maths and 1 English class each fortnight. This will allow tutors to work with small groups of students, as well as one on one. We envisage that students will be able to receive assistance with their classwork in real time and will benefit from targeted teaching that aligns with their immediate subject learning goals. This might also include extension work for students who are progressing well with skills and content. Tutors will have an important role in working together with subject teachers to determine the best form of support for students.

If you have any questions about the program, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Elisa Di Gregorio via email: digregorioel@aquinas.vic.edu.au

Elisa Di Gregorio and Jacob Kogelman
Aquinas Tutoring Program Coordinators

Last week on Wednesday afternoon, the annual Year Middle Years Cross Country Carnival was held around the ovals at school. The weather was a bit of a concern overnight but cleared for a wonderful afternoon to run in. The course was a bit soft and wet in different parts which made for a great cross country course. The course was approximately 2.6kms in length but given the condition of the course, it felt a lot longer than that distance

It was pleasing to see so many students be involved in the carnival and support the school and their House group. Over the past 6 years, Mackillop has been the champion house.

Coming down to the final race, Mackillop, Dominic and Rice were really close. Mackillop had a number of top 15 place getters in the U14 girls race and this ensured they would win the carnival again for the 7th year - Congratulations to Mackillop students on this awesome performance.

The final placings were 1st Mackillop, 2nd Dominic, 3rd Rice. The top 3 place getters in each age group were:

U13 girls: 1st Aleisha Harmer, 2nd Gabby Hooper, 3rd Zoe Guerin
U13 boys: 1st Callum Settle, 2nd Chris Galea, 3rd Ned Gidley
U14 girls: 1st Alovi Gomes, 2nd Emma Fabre, 3rd Indiana Curtis
U14 boys: 1st Oliver Goodwin, 2nd Lachie Buyck, 3rd James Zerella
U15 girls: 1st Emily Anderson, 2nd Maeve Wilkinson, 3rd Zoe Vozzo
U15 boys: 1st Isaac Ghosn, 2nd Tom Vardy, 3rd Jamie Clarke

The top 15 place getters from the carnival will be invited to be part of the Aquinas Cross Country squad which will begin training next term in preparation for the EISM Cross Country carnival on Wednesday 1st September at Ruffey Lake Park in Doncaster

A huge thank you to all the staff who assisted in the afternoon. Without their support and assistance, carnivals we have at Aquinas cannot work and be such a success for the students.

Bernie Brummell
Sports Coordinator

On Friday 18th of June, two teams of Year 7 students competed in an online heat of the Kid鈥檚 Lit Quiz.

The Kids' Lit Quiz is an annual literature quiz for students aged 10-13 years.

Quizzes are held in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and the USA. The winning team from each heat competes in a National Final. The Kids鈥� Lit Quiz  encourages students to read widely for pleasure across genres and authors and it improves their performance across curriculum areas. The competition is designed to be huge fun, with an element of competition, personal challenge and reward that is seldom available to children whose passion is reading.

糖心vlog官网 was represented with great enthusiasm and knowledge by Jorja Nowak, Zoe Staples, Zara Mijat, Rose Ennis Ria Jijose and Chase Stone.  They competed in 9 rounds and answered questions based on a wide range of genres and categories.  It was a very close contest with one team finishing in fourth place, only four points behind the winning team. 

Student reflection by Rose Ennis: "It was so much fun to spend time with my friends, meet new people and make new friends. I got to test my knowledge on some of my favourite books. It was so rewarding especially since my team came in fourth place. I had a great time, and can't wait to do it again next year!"

Danielle Lorkin
Learning Enhancement Coordinator

Careers in Term 2 this year focused on planning for Years 9 in Middle Years and Years 10 in Senior School. Although some events had to be postponed, we developed additional options to assist our students in developing their Career Plans.

Both Year 10 and Year 9 Dominic House students attended the Careers Seminars in Term 2 where students were taken through the careers exploratory tools available on our own 糖心vlog官网 Careers website -

This is an important site as it features a current Careers Events Calendar, Career Information Videos and interactive subject Targets. It is accessible to both students and parents of the College through SIMON or PAM on the Careers and Subject Selection tile, 糖心vlog官网 Careers.

Year 9 and 10 students will be expected to revisit the site for important subject planning information during the Subject Selection Period which is happening during Term 3. During this time, students are encouraged to visit a range of careers planning sites and develop a variety of possible career interest areas. Year 9 Students will be expected to use this information to select the subjects they will need to do in Year 10 2022. We encourage student to develop a learning plan to take them through their Senior Years and support their career aspirations.

For example, while all students must study an English, students are strongly advised to also continue a General Mathematics subject at Year 11 as it is not only a prerequisite for all Teaching courses and is now, expected by most Nursing courses.  From Year 10, it is important students choose to study a group of subjects reflective of their interests and strengths. For example, if students are considering further study in Sciences, the Arts, Humanities, Health or Business, it is expected that they start to choose some elective subjects in these areas of interest to check the suitability of the course.

Our Year 10 students have been given the opportunity to reflect on their ideas regarding possible careers through attending the Career Voyage workshops, completing the Careers Test or Quiz, researching possible careers that fit with their personal interests and developing their Careers Action Plans.

Year 10 students have also been shown how to use important websites that allow students access Tertiary course information from both universities and TAFE Colleges. They have been shown how to use the Good Universities website and the VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre) site. The links to these sites are also on the Careers and Pathways tile on SIMON and Pam, mentioned earlier.
There is a great deal of valuable information on the various University and TAFE course sites, with each Tertiary Institution detailing their Student Selection Criteria, Prerequisites, the previous year鈥檚 ATAR (Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank). There are also recommendations to study particular subjects in year 11 and 12 subjects recommended for students to study at secondary level which will lead to the greatest success when studying their Tertiary courses.

During Term 2, it was great to see so many students becoming enthusiastic about their possible future career choices. We look forward to encouraging them to continue researching their ideas in preparation for the important Subject Selection 2022 Expo Evening in Term 3 starting on Thursday 26th August 2021. 

The Sons of the West is a FREE 10-week health program for men 18+ above (this includes any person that identifies as male/man/he/him).  It begins on Wednesday 4 August 2021 starting at 6:30pm and concludes at 8:30pm every Wednesday night over a 10 week period.  It's broken down into an hour of education and an hour of physical exercise. This will be a face to face program onsite at Heathmont College.