Newsletter | See as God sees

The last two weeks have seen our staff, students and families once again draw upon personal reserves of perseverance, commitment and hope as we returned to a very different roadmap placed before us by the government and health authorities for the coming weeks. The 5 October was an exceptionally happy day as we welcomed the return of our Year 12 students for the General Achievement Test (GAT). Their gratitude for being back at school and their excitement as they gathered once again as a cohort was palpable. I thank them for the way in which they responded to our planning and the way they approached this assessment. Since then, they have used each day to ensure they are on track to complete their upcoming exams. They have also savoured this special time as a cohort, recognising that before long they will be undertaking a new journey beyond our school. We continue to offer them our prayers and support as they enjoy their final weeks as Our Lady of Sion College students.

The coming weeks will require further careful planning by the College as we see an increasing number of students return from Online Home Learning to learning within the classroom. All students are due to be onsite from Friday, 5 November but before that, from 26 October, we will experience a staggered return as per the Government’s current roadmap. If students, parents and guardians have any queries regarding this return, I encourage them to contact their daughter’s Wellbeing and Growth Leader.

We have all heard and read in the media the challenges for a number of schools that have had a positive case and have had to return to Online Home Learning. The next few weeks present a delicate balance between the government’s encouragement that all people over 12 years of age are now invited to access vaccines, and the re-opening of our society with fewer restrictions. You will also now be aware that vaccination is mandated for all school staff, including volunteers, emergency teachers and contractors. This is in accordance with the Health Act and legal expectations we are compelled to follow. Over the term break, we increased ventilation within our buildings according to the guidelines and replenished stocks of disinfectant and hand sanitiser.

I recognise the great personal sacrifices we have all had to make in the last two years and the sadness felt for some of the moments of life that have been missed. Many with family and friends dispersed across Melbourne and indeed interstate or overseas may have grown weary of staying in touch only via Zoom. Many of us have had multiple tests, have been required to quarantine and also isolate. It has not been easy.

As a community, we have supported each other and will continue to do so. We continue to see in our students and staff, the adaptability, creativity and dedication to maintain learning continuity and wellbeing support. I am very proud of and deeply grateful to our staff for the way in which they have supported our students over many months. It has not been easy for them and their families.

The Catholic and Sionian tradition of our College remains embedded in hope. It emanates from a deeply held belief and faith that things will improve. There is a line at the end of the movie, Shawshank Redemption where Andy writes to his friend Red and reminds him:

'Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.'

While we have hope and avenues that support us, there is always a way forward. What we now ask is for our students, staff and all families to follow the directions as closely as possible. It may be that with a re-opening, we may have students and staff who test positive to COVID-19. This is likely to occur just by living our lives within the restrictions and guidelines. We may end up, unfortunately, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the supermarket, a petrol station and so on. I encourage you all to remain vigilant and get tested if you experience any symptoms, and to let the College know as soon as possible if a student or a member of your family tests positive. This will allow us to continue to support the relevant student and the rest of our community.

Finally, in recent weeks we have farewelled Ms Ellie Van Der Westhuizen and Mrs Lauren Baldasso as they commenced Family Leave. We also welcome Ms Bridie Macdonald who will be taking Ellie’s class until the end of the year and Mr Paul Rowley, who takes up the position of Risk and Compliance Leader.

With every blessing for the fortnight ahead.

Tina Apostolopoulos

MACSSIS

One of the special characteristics of education at Our Lady of Sion College is 'To Listen'. It is crucial that we listen - especially to each other. When we listen and truly hear - we can then act. We learn by what we hear; this leads to development, growth and improvement.

Over the next few weeks, parents, students and staff will have the opportunity to use their voice that will allow us to listen and improve.

The School Improvement Survey (MACSSIS) from the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools will enable us to gather feedback as well as engage with each other in ongoing school improvement efforts. Much data will be collected in a range of areas including school climate, student safety, Catholic identity, teacher/student relationships, and others.

We value the opinion of all members of our community enormously. Therefore, we look forward to the participation in the MACSSIS survey from as many as possible.

Thank you in anticipation.

There is a lot happening in Learning and Teaching as we prepare for the return of the Year 7 to 11 students and begin to say our goodbyes to our Year 12s. As a Year 12 teacher, it has been wonderful to return to a classroom full of laughing and talking, questions and answers. The Year 12 students are doing a great job following the health rules, and I think we need a competition for the most creative blanket to keep warm.

And similarly the Year 7 to 11 students are experiencing lots of successes online. The Debating Club is flourishing and a big congratulations must go to Nakita N of 8 Purple who has qualified for the Grand Final of DAV’s 2021 Junior Public Speaking Competition. Already a fantastic achievement, we will all be thinking of Nakita as she competes on Friday 22 October.

Balancing the needs of learning and assessment with our health, and protecting the VCAA exam period once the Year 12 students finish classes on Monday 18 October, they are asked to complete their SWOTVAC at home. Teachers will be available to support them via Google Meets (especially during their normal class times) and will also make arrangements for one on one meetings. Should a student need to come into the College, they will be asked to follow a specific process that will be outlined to them.

It is important that we emphasise the need to remain at home with even the slightest indication of being unwell. Should this happen during the VCAA examination period, there is a very clear process for alerting the College who will work with VCAA to arrange a Derived Examination Score. Directly affected families and students will have this process communicated to them in a separate communication.

As Year 10 and 11 students look towards the end of the year, they are in full examination mode. Presenting a semester or year’s learning under exam conditions is a specific skill required for assessment readiness. For this reason, the Year 11 students will sit the full examination schedule. Acknowledging the interrupted semester and the additional time to polish their skills, Year 10 students will sit a modified examination program. This allows them to practise and apply their assessment skills but without the normal busyness attached to it. Subject teachers and Wellbeing and Growth Leaders will communicate directly with students to address any questions or concerns.

Looking further ahead, the 2022 Booklists have been finalised and published to families. From Friday 15 October, families will be able to access the booklist through the Campion tab on SEQTA Engage. Campion is offering a flat fee of $10 for delivery to home, and Click and Collect in January (providing health directives allow them to do it). Any queries can be directed to the Learning Resource Centre.

2022 Campion Booklists

Slow and Steady Wins the ‘Return to School’ Race

While the announcement that students will be returning to onsite learning was long-awaited and happy news to the Our Lady of Sion College community, it does pose the question, 'How can we make the transition back to the class a positive experience for all?' While many students would have jumped for joy at the thought of returning to face to face interactions with friends, the greater variety of lesson structure and the energising vibe a busy school provides, others will be worried about the return.

Over the past two years, students haven’t needed to manage a lot of social interaction, they haven’t been required to share their learning space with twenty or so other people and the school routine has blurred considerably. Socially anxious students may voice a significant reluctance to returning, while others may worry about hygiene practices and peers' lack of social distancing as they head back into the classroom.

So where is the good news? Firstly, we should not underestimate the coping skills they have developed. Many students are more self-sufficient and better able to ask for help when required. Secondly, the school will maintain the Online Home Learning timetable during the staggered return to school. This will allow students to have a more gentle return with slightly shortened lessons accompanied by two 20 minute breaks, and lunchtime. We trust that this will allow more time to socialise and offer a little extra time to get organised for the next lessons, for those who need it. Thirdly, COVID Safe practices are firmly in place including mask-wearing, plentiful access to hand sanitiser and a thorough ongoing cleaning regime.

Parents and guardians can support their daughter’s return to school by helping her feel prepared by speaking in positive terms about the return regardless of personal reservations. Don’t overinflate your daughter’s expectations of the return to school either; it may take some getting used to. Saying that she will have an ‘amazing time’ when she gets back with friends can make the inevitable setbacks in social interactions just that bit harder to accept.

Try taking a curious questioning approach by asking her how she is feeling about going back to school. If she is excited, let her know that you are proud of her positive attitude after so long in lockdown. If she is worried, assure her that she has the skills to successfully return and that you and her teachers are there to support her if there are bumps along the way.

Regardless of whether she is excited or worried, you might like to dig a little deeper about how she is feeling and what can be done to support her. Remind her that the school is going to take things slowly at the start, as together, we build back the routine of onsite school life. As a family, take the time to transition back as things open up and be mindful not to overstretch your daughter with visits to friends, returning to multiple after-school activities and visiting crowded places such as shopping centres.

On a more practical note, please ensure that school resources are found and are in good working order so that you're not scrambling to find books, calculators, school bags and uniform items, especially the hat, the weekend before students return. This will make for a very stressful time that can be avoided with planning.

As always, if you have serious concerns about your daughter’s preparedness to return to school, especially if she appears unduly anxious and worried, please reach out to her Homeroom teacher or Wellbeing and Growth Leader.

Welcome back to Term 4 to all members of the graduating class of 2021.

Congratulations on the way that you have all conducted yourselves over the past two weeks. In a very short amount of time, we have transitioned from Online Home Learning, into the GAT and then finally back into face-to-face learning.

Consistently throughout this year, the class of 2021 has made these transitions with a sense of poise and purpose and has done so with the greatest respect to self and each other. In these challenging times, the pure joy of being back in the community, sharing precious moments with friends have been so clearly evident.

Amongst all of this, is the desire to stay safe; so that we all give ourselves the very best opportunity to be able to turn up, each and every day, to complete those final tasks, prepare for final exams or consolidate the next step, that each Year 12 student will take in readiness for 2022.

Term 4 will see so much growth within each member of the graduating class of 2021. We will be challenged; it will be uncomfortable at times and it might be a little uncertain. All of which is a natural part of completing secondary education and taking the next transitioning step into life beyond Sion.

Achieving one’s best is always an aspiration throughout Term 4. Plenty of hard work and persistence, supported by a loving family, will continue to ensure that all our students will try their best. I would like to share the following three articles from Andrew Fuller. Each article talks to how you as a family can continue those discussions on how to get the very best out of yourselves during this final term. These strategies are also really helpful for the next steps we take in our journey of life.

Resources:

Article 1 – ‘How to get your mojo back’

Article 2 – ‘Tips on how to study’

Article 3 – ‘How to thrive’

Over the coming weeks, remember to celebrate in the joy of completing final classes, on graduating, of finishing final units of competencies and on securing new opportunities in the workforce for 2022.

On behalf of all of the Year 12 Pastoral Team, stay safe, be proud and always push your boundaries each and every day.

Welcome back to Term 4! It has been so wonderful to see those Year 11 students who are completing a 3/4 subject back at school and observing the joy this brings for them. It will be even more exciting once we are all back together in a few weeks time. I appreciate all of the hard work, effort, dedication and GRIT that our Year 11 students have demonstrated throughout the course of this extended remote learning experience and am very proud of each of our students. It has well and truly been a challenging experience for them but what an achievement they have made getting through it.

Sunday 10 October was the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Mental Health Day 2021. I shared the following information and resources with our students in Year 11, which I believe would be beneficial for our wider community to engage with too.

'The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health. Some groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions, have been particularly affected. And services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders have been significantly disrupted. Yet there is cause for optimism. During the World Health Assembly in May 2021, governments from around the world recognised the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels.'

The campaign slogan this year was 'Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality.'

The following article and resources are fantastic tools and you are encouraged to engage with them. You can see what the WHO's vision is to address mental health, as well as what the Australian Government has taken on board in response to the WHO report.

The resources and information on the Head to Health website is particularly good. Especially if your child is someone who may need that extra bit of help or advice and is unsure where to start.

Department of Health: World Mental Health Day—mental health care for all Australians

World Health Organisation – World Mental Health Day 2021

Head to Health – Digital mental health resources from the Australian Government Department of Health

Mind Traps and Escape Hatches

I trust there was some downtime over the school break, which allowed some reprieve from worrying about Google codes and other school-related issues. The support from parents and guardians for your daughter’s Online Home Learning has been such an important partnership with staff to enable the best outcomes in the current trying circumstances. We know, at times, this is difficult and we thank you for your continued communication to allow teaching staff to support your daughter.

As we prepare for our partial return to school, during our pastoral session, we ran 'Looking after yourself.' The main focus of this session was to discuss how stress can be positive and negative and to look at strategies to negate negative self-talk, promote positive thinking and look for approaches that move away from pessimistic mind traps to positive escape hatches. The students looked at six common mind traps of pessimistic thinking and how they can respond. We used a Jamboard to display common scenarios where the students could post ‘sticky notes’ on how they may change their mindset to a given situation. As a team we are working with students to focus on the November examinations as a learning experience in preparation for Year 11, which begins with Smart Start on November 15.

In two weeks, we will have the first of our speeches for leadership positions for 2022, and later that week, excitedly welcome the Year 10 students back onsite.

Teamwork was the focus of our Pastoral lesson this week. Although some students prefer to learn independently, it is inevitable there will be learning situations where they need to work on projects as part of a team. The skills involved in being an effective team member were discussed within Homerooms, allowing students the opportunity to identify that the following strategies can be practised and implemented when working in group activities.

Five Steps to Effective Teamwork

• Define goals and expectations
• Clearly deliver your message
• Divide and delegate responsibilities
• Keep everyone involved
• Listen and show empathy.

As a way of providing an opportunity to implement these steps, the students were given a task to complete within a small group.

The first option was to design and create an outfit, of a quality that could take out the winning prize in Fashions on the Field. Alternatively, and for those more inclined towards engineering projects, the tallest possible freestanding tower had to be designed and built. As well as time restraints, there was also the challenge that the only materials each of the groups could work with were two newspapers and a roll of tape. The fact that the members within each group had to communicate their ideas online also added to the degree of difficulty.

There were some fantastic creations and the feedback I received from the Year 9 Homeroom teachers was positive, as it provided everyone with the opportunity to connect with their friends and enjoy a few laughs while orchestrating the different elements of the task.

The countdown is on now! With only one full week left of Online Home Learning, we are so excited to have the Year 8s back on campus for a couple of days a week, leading into a full-time return soon after.

I hope the Year 8s are looking forward to returning and not only seeing their friends but maybe even a few teachers too!

Although there are many positives around returning to face to face learning, I am sure across the level (for both parents and students), there may be some apprehension or nervous feelings. This is normal.

Please be assured that we will make this a smooth transition as possible, and will support the students in getting back into the classrooms.

Below are some tips that may assist your daughter in the lead up/during the return to school:

• Start by getting her to wake up a little earlier in the mornings next week. This is so the first week back isn’t such a shock to the system.
• Encourage her to get on top of what work she may have missed or think is achievable in this time. This will allow more time for enjoying socialising with friends and settling back in, not stressing too much about the workload.
• Start getting her back into a bit more of a routine with bed times, potentially taking technology out of the room.
• For the first couple of days of face to face learning, your daughter will most likely be exhausted. Try and focus on the positives of the day and what went well.

If you notice any challenges or concerns (outside the normal/expected apprehension of returning), please don’t hesitate to contact the Homeroom teachers and we can work through some strategies together.

I wish you all the best for the week ahead with only a few more school days to go until the Year 8 corridor is filled with voices and laughter again.

I hope that the school holidays were restful for you all and you enjoyed a well-deserved break! With only a couple of weeks left of Online Home Learning for our Year 7s, the light at the end of the tunnel is approaching. In preparation for this return to onsite learning, during our most recent pastoral session we discussed the importance of getting into the routine from now and not waiting until the night before to start a new sleep routine. Doing things like replicating an onsite routine will enable your daughter to adjust more gently, and therefore be less exhausted from the rigours and excitement of seeing friends and being in a physical classroom again. Especially going to bed and waking up when they normally would to get to school on time, getting dressed, having breakfast and setting themselves up in their learning space for the day.

We also went through some reminders, in order to get the most out of Online Home Learning:

Cameras on – It is expected that all students have their cameras on during Google Meets to create a more engaging environment where students and their teachers are able to maintain a social connection and read body language to monitor their wellbeing and learning.

Phones away – Phones can be a huge distraction and must not be used for socialisation or any purpose, other than learning during class-times; just as is expected onsite. If they are easily distracted, it would be encouraged to remove their phones during this time to eliminate the distraction and get the most out of the lesson.

Complete work – Teachers will often set work for students to submit, usually tasks that are designed to be completed in the lesson. These tasks are essential for teachers to monitor their learning and progress. If there is any support needed, please encourage your daughter to reach out to her teachers.

I understand how challenging these times are for us all, but putting these expectations into place will be beneficial in the long run (even though they may be challenging initially!). If we can support you and your daughter in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your daughter's Homeroom teacher or myself. We look forward to returning onsite and having the buzz back in the ELC building!

Mathematics Calculators for 2022

A reminder that at Our Lady of Sion College, all Mathematics students are expected to own their own calculator and are encouraged to have their calculator with them for each Mathematics class. Calculators are an essential tool for developing skills, consolidating concepts, exploring patterns and investigating problems. Calculators may also be used in assessment tasks.

Our current Year 9 students have recently received an order form for the Texas Instruments TI-nspire CX II CAS graphics calculator. This is the latest model. Students who wish to purchase this calculator through the College will need to visit Trybooking to register their order by Friday 5 November. A limited number of 110 calculators will be available to students prior to the end of the year. Other calculators may be purchased through retail outlets such as Officeworks.

For 2022:

• Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 use the Texas Instruments TI-30XB Multiview scientific calculator
• Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 use the Texas Instruments TI-nspire CX II CAS graphics calculator.

Students studying Unit 3 and 4 Chemistry this year competed in the inaugural Our Lady of Sion College Titration Champions competition. It was an opportunity for the students to both revise and demonstrate their analytical skills, by determining the unknown concentration of dilute hydrochloric acid, via a titration against a standard solution of sodium carbonate. All students across both classes displayed a competitive spirit with the hopes of their names being etched and acknowledged on our new Titration Champions shield.

Congratulations to Hanna G and Chelsea H who were closest to identifying the concentration of 0.0225 M hydrochloric acid. Well done to all students and we wish them well as they head into their final exams.

Chelsea H – Year 12 Chemistry Student

Last Thursday, Hanna G and I competed in the Year 12 Chemistry Titration Competition. The aim of the competition was to find the unknown concentration of hydrochloric acid via a titration. It was an opportunity for us to practise the theory we have learned throughout the year, in a more practical setting, which is preparing us for our upcoming VCE Chemistry Exam. Part of the practical was that we completed the titration without the advice of our teacher, Mr Nguyen and our lab technicians. As a result, it was an opportunity for us to identify any gaps in our knowledge that we will need to revisit before the exam. Over the years, practicals have aided our learning, where applying our theory has allowed us to explore Chemistry from a new perspective. The competition was yet another engaging way for us to apply our Chemistry knowledge!

It’s been fantastic to see that even during Online Home Learning, students continue to take up extra-curricular opportunities that are on offer. Recently some Humanities students entered the Raise Our Voice in Parliament competition. Their brief was to write a speech to submit for their local MP to read in Parliament on an issue that was important to them. Below are a couple of entries from our students.

Hi, my name is Ananya, I am 12 years old, my electorate is Menzies. I am writing to you because in 20 years, things are going to be very different. It is our job to make it a good different.

My parents were immigrants and they had a pretty tough time adjusting to a new environment, away from family. It was very lonely. I can only imagine what it must be like for refugees coming in with nothing, absolutely, nothing. This is how poverty, terrorism, depression and anxiety begins.

If we are to make a difference, we need to get more people involved. Refugees need to be heard. There should be interviews with struggling refugees, fundraisers to help them with their lives and they should receive education, to give them the same opportunities as the rest of us. Refugees should get jobs with fair payment and help from mentors. We could give them better resources, cleaner water, better quality shelter and it’ll reduce anxiety, terrorism and depression.

There are many things we can do and we should start doing them. To make a difference, we need to behave differently, think differently and be different. This is only the beginning and everyone deserves a better future.
Ananya D S, 7 Purple

Hello, my name is Chloe. I’m fifteen years old and my electorate is Menzies. As a young nation, we have experienced some hardship over the years that has shaped Australians into strong, resilient and empathetic people, with integrity. Recently we experienced some of the lowest days of humanity, plunged into a global pandemic, enduring endless lockdowns, protests, sickness and death. Still we have hope, and do what we can as individuals to get through it, to succeed and defeat the odds. If Australians can come together, united in a common cause to create a positive difference for the good of the nation, to create a new normal and live with this virus, then why is the tragedy of a growing number of Aboriginal deaths in custody not a priority? At least 475 Aboriginal people have died in custody since the end of the 1991 Royal Commission; 475 people who will never get another chance to right their wrongs; 475 people who will never again hug their loved ones or dream of a future. The current government, and governments before them, have been condemned for their inaction and lack of empathy, and yet still not enough has been done to end this crisis. My vision for Australia in 20 years time is for our country to be one that acknowledges important issues regardless of how sensitive the circumstances. I would like to see the government apologise for their negligence and put steps into place to ensure that Aboriginal deaths in custody are a thing of the past. A piece of our history that we will always regret, but will never forget.
Chloe K, 9 Silver

Term 4 Music Soiree

The Term 4 virtual/online Music Soiree will be presented on Monday 25 October. Any student wanting to submit a performance video, please join the Term 4 Music Soiree Google Classroom and submit your video (in school uniform).

A Week in the Life of a Music Class

This cycle, the students again found themselves doing some fun, engaging and challenging music work:

• One of Mrs Tinsley's violin groups got into the Spring Racing carnival a little early this year by having their lesson in a hat of their choosing.

• The Year 7 Singing group got creative by composing their own COVID parody lyrics to well-known songs:

Written by Athena H – 7 Blue, sung to ‘Favourite Crime’ – Olivia Rodrigo

Dan Andrews know you said that
We would have a
COVID clean summer
I really thought that might actually be true
And I thought that we would really be alright
But then it happened again
Why am I here now once again?
The things you said
Well I’m stuck in lockdown here (so what)
I’m really bored
There’s nothing fun to do anymore (everything’s closed)

Written by Elizabeth B – 7 Silver, sung to ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman?’

We’re not allowed to build a snowman
We’re not allowed to go outside
We can’t see no one anymore
They’ve shut the doors
Let’s go play board games
Let’s be quarantine buddies!
And play a game
Only if our wifi works
Do you wanna build a snowman
Not in 2021.
Go away Corona!
I just wanna go outsideeee…
Let’s go buy some sanitiser
Don’t forget the toilet rolls
It’s hard for me to stay inside
Online is really not the same at allllllll…
Keep your mask on Joan!
It gets a little lonely waiting to flatten the curve
And watch too much Netflix…

Ensemble Performance Videos

Congratulations to the combined Intermediate and Senior Strings, and the Intermediate Concert Band who produced amazing remote video performances during Term 3. Please find the links below:

Intermediate Concert Band – ‘Chorale for Freedom’

• Private YouTube link, expires in 3 weeks
  
• Google Drive link for students
  

Intermediate/Senior Strings – ‘Bushranger’s Ballad’

• Private YouTube link, expires in 3 weeks
  
• Google Drive link for students
  

Year 12 Musicians - Valete

In an ongoing series over the next few editions of the newsletter, I would like to acknowledge the service and leadership of our incredible Year 12 musicians from the Our Lady of Sion College class of 2021.

2021 Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge

The end of Term 3 brought the end of the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. This is our major reading challenge for the year and being in lockdown for almost a whole term brought opportunities for students to engage with Wheelers ePlatform to read eBooks and listen to Audiobooks.

This year was a very exciting Premier’s Challenge with 104 Sion students completing the challenge. This is an increase from the 2020 total of 68 students.

At Years 7 to 9, we held a Homeroom Reading Competition between all the English classes. Here are the winning classes:

• Year 7 Silver (Ms Stewart’s English class) 482 books read
• Year 8 White (Mrs Smith’s English class) 403 books read
• Year 9 Purple (Mrs Smith’s English class) 161 books read.

The competition was exciting as Homerooms battled against each other for the top spot. The challenge ladder was published in the Bulletin and emailed to the English teachers fortnightly throughout the challenge.

VPRC Top Readers of 2021

We can see that as students move through the school, the number of books that they read decreases, however, the books that they are reading increase in both size and complexity. Students are encouraged to continue their recreational reading as a way of improving their comprehension and reading skills. Congratulations to the following top readers:

Year 7

• Holly Y 7 Silver (104 books)
• Gabriela G 7 Silver (104 books)
• Anria A 7 Gold (62 books)

Year 8

• Samantha P 8 White (51 books)
• Estelle H 8 White (41 books)
• Janita D 8 Silver (30 books)

Year 9

• Kiera D 9 Red (61 books)
• Tiana D 9 Purple (41 books)
• Anna S 9 Gold (40 books)

• Erin K 10 Blue (30 books) Top reader second year running
• Sofia F 10 Red (26 books)
• Mariam G 10 Gold (21 books)

Prize packs and certificates will be distributed to students when they return to onsite learning.

Overdue Resources

During lockdown, the LRC team turned OFF the overdue notifications on physical resources.

As we return to onsite learning, students are encouraged to return or renew their resources. If students can’t find a book, or if a book has been damaged, please email LRCSupport@sion.catholic.edu.au to let us know so we can arrange for a new copy to be bought.

Schoolaerobics Australian National Championships

Hard work and dedication pay off! Having all three teams qualify for Nationals was a huge achievement, having three teams receive medals at Nationals is absolutely massive for our program. We would like to congratulate our whole squad who trained multiple times a week since February (including school holidays,) and who clocked up countless hours of practice perfecting their routines.

This result would not have been possible without Ms Frood. Her commitment, attitude and ongoing support to both students and coaches have been exceptional. Special mention to Junior Coaches Julia and Mia for an amazing year and to the 27 students for bringing the energy and effort to each session. We look forward to celebrating the results and presenting the medals in person. What a fantastic way to cap off Aerobics in 2021!

Secondary Stage 2 Junior Results
Pandastic 2^nd
Jungle Warriors 3^rd
Secondary Stage 2 Senior Results
Front Road Girls 3^rd

Minute to Win It – Staff v Students

The students tasted redemption this year, claiming the Staff v Student title for 2021. Seven staff members went up against seven selected students in a Minute to Win It Championship. Each game was played with tremendous spirit and it often went down to the wire, however, the students were too strong on the day. The staff team has already started training for 2022, so watch this space!

Staff v Students 2021 – Minute to Win It

Final Score: Students (5) defeated Staff (2)

Sports Week – Team Challenge

Well done to all students who participated in the Team Minute Challenge during Sports Week. Over 80 students participated completing an exercise each day (Burpees, Squats, Sit Ups and Push Ups), recording their total reps within a minute. Congratulations to the winning teams from each year level (see below), and as promised, if you work hard, you get rewarded! We will be in contact with prize details once we return onsite.

Team Minute Challenge Year Level Winners:

Drama Week was a little different in an online environment this year. Regardless of not being able to be together in person, we had a wonderful time engaging with our students online with drama activities.

There were three competitions for students to get involved in and some of these entries are pictured.

We have had a great deal of difficulty choosing our winners, but after some deliberation we have chosen some very talented students to receive prizes! We will announce these winners at a VIP screening where all students who entered the competitions will be invited to a special lunchtime event. We will show the students' movies and photos and give out prizes to winners and highly commended entries.

Our fantastic staff members contributed their own version of ‘No Budget Movie Recreations to show in Homerooms during the week and these were truly inspiring versions of classics like ET and The Godfather. Thank you to our brilliant staff for getting involved in the name of putting a few smiles on students’ faces.

During the week, our students engaged in movie musicals trivia, a Homeroom quiz, competitions, movie musical screenings and two guest presenter workshops with Katie Cawthorne. Katie works with students at Melbourne’s National Institute of Circus Arts and The National Theatre. We had an enthusiastic bunch of girls join us and the feedback was excellent from these sessions.

Our Unit 3 and 4 Drama girls had their externally assessed performance exams last week and in the lead up we held an online performance viewing for friends and families. All of our students exited the performance examination rooms happy, relieved and proud of themselves. We wish these girls well with the written examination to come.

After a fantastic start to the term, our Drama team is hopeful for the opportunities that we can offer our students once we are all back at school. Our creative juices are bubbling away with ideas for the future. We cannot wait to have all students back in the classroom creating and performing!

After another long period of time in lockdown and Online Home Learning, our Years 7 to 11 students will start returning to school from the week after next. There may be mixed feelings and emotions about this, not only for students but for parents as well. Some students may be excited and some may be dreading it. Some can’t wait to get back to a normal routine with face-to-face contact with teachers and friends, while some really enjoy the comfort and pace of Online Home Learning. It would be fair for some students to be quite anxious, especially with case numbers increasing. All of these feelings are completely normal. The good thing is that the students have done this before, not once, but quite a few times. They know roughly what the transition back to school looks like and hopefully they’re feeling confident they can do it again.

At school, we are very aware that some students may be feeling nervous and we will do our very best to ensure they are supported with a smooth transition. The advice is just to take it slowly, take it one day at a time and see how you go. There is lots of support available should your child need any assistance.

There are a number of ways that you can also be supporting your daughter with this transition. This ranges from helping her get back into a good sleep routine to sitting down and discussing her concerns.

I have put together a list of really helpful websites and articles that discuss the return to normal and the return to school after COVID-19. Some of these are from last year but the information is still very relevant.

Andrew Fuller: Seven things for a smooth transition back to school-based learning

Kids Helpline: Guide to supporting your child to go back to ‘normal’ after COVID-19

The Parents Website: Helping anxious kids prepare for a return to the classroom

Raft Psychology: Return to school. A trauma informed approach

If you have any specific concerns about your daughter returning to school, or generally coping at this time, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of the counselling team, your daughter's Wellbeing and Growth Leader or her Homeroom teacher.

Determination and perseverance move the world; thinking that others will do it for you is a sure way to fail. Marva Collins (Educator)

Students and families can find the Fortnightly Careers newsletter here.

In this fortnight's newsletter, there is information relating to:

• upcoming events – reminder VTAC 2022 key dates, Monash Fine Art, Design and Architecture Experience Day
• career industry in the spotlight – 20 most needed jobs
• research ideas – Pathways to Federation University, Monash University course change – Radiation Science, La Trobe University - Business degree, Tax file numbers and university study abroad and exchange programs.