Newsletter | Speaking the Truth in Love

I am reminded this fortnight of the reasons why I became a teacher in the first place. Aside from wanting to share my love of English and Literature, I was primarily drawn to education for the positive difference teachers and staff can make to the lives of our young people and ultimately to future generations. Of particular note is how all young people possess the capacity to learn and to shine. There have been many highlights this term already which support the notion that if you create the opportunities, our students will respond and embrace them.

We started the term with a very moving ANZAC Day ceremony with all staff and students gathering on the front lawns and carpark for a student-led prayer and reflection. Students lowered our flags to half-mast before we remained silent and the last post was played. The entire College then moved to the oval for a joyful Easter celebration, again prepared and led by our students. I invite families to spend some time carefully reading within this newsletter, the reflection offered by our Liturgy Captain Caitlin Gorry for our Easter ceremony. I am sure you will agree it is a profound reminder to all within our community about why the Easter message is still so relevant in our world today. Caitlin’s words brought us all great hope.

The week continued with Year 9 students undertaking their World of Work mock interviews. While understandably nervous as they waited for their names to be called by their prospective 'employer', it was evident that they had worked hard to prepare and present themselves for this process. It was a real pleasure to witness their confidence after their interview concluded. Thank you to our parents who supported this Ayin unit in such a practical and supportive manner and to Ms Rebecca Bennett, Ms Jordyn Frood and our Ayin teachers for preparing students.

Last week I attended the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Mass and Dinner. Each year, schools are invited to perform at both events and so it was with great pride that students from our College Vocal Ensemble were invited to perform. I received many compliments for their rendition of Ai-ee-yu. Over the years, I have watched Ella C, Sareana B, Naya H, Anabelle T and Maya J work with commitment to develop their voice and share their gifts and talents. Thank you to them and to Mr Martin Macaulay and Mrs Janine Jones who have supported them over many years.

Last Friday evening I also had the pleasure of taking Year 12 students, Ellen T and Zoe M, and Year 11 students, Naya H and Ciara DV to the Newman College University of Melbourne Forum Dinner. After a tour of the College and learning about College life from a second-year university student, we heard from the guest presenter, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at the University of Melbourne, Dr Douglas Brumley. Dr Brumley’s topic: The application of mathematics to open problems in biology proved to be fascinating as he brought to life the essential relevance of mathematics and how even one’s personal hobbies can also enhance one’s learning beyond secondary school. Below is a reflection from Ciara:

Attending Newman College was a valuable experience that granted us the opportunity to think about life after secondary school. It was exciting to see how there are many opportunities in life, and we were inspired in hearing how following our passions and interests can open up those doors. The College was beautiful in itself and engaging with the members of Newman College was also a great part of the experience. Ciara DV, Year 11 Purple

This fortnight teachers, parents and students discussed student learning and development during our Student Progress Meetings, again another opportunity to affirm, celebrate and provide ongoing support to our students. Thank you to all involved.

Today we celebrated the special women in our students’ lives with our Significant Women’s Day breakfast. This event does not happen without the support of Christine Kralj, our Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing and Mrs Margaret Busacca, her assistant and the staff who volunteer to assist. It certainly cannot happen without the many students who volunteered in the lead up to create the special gift for each significant woman. Thank you to all students across many year levels for their generosity in volunteering to make the gifts after school. Again, this is evidence that if you create the opportunities, our students will embrace them.

Against this backdrop of events and opportunities, we are also reminded of the lack of opportunities and the suffering of many young girls and women in our world at present, in particular those who have once again been denied education in Afghanistan and those whose lives and education have been completely destroyed in Ukraine. We continue to keep these girls and women who are much like ourselves, in our thoughts and prayers at this time.

Finally this fortnight we have welcomed Ms Catherine Tan who will be teaching VCE Biology and Science.

With every blessing for the fortnight ahead.

Tina Apostolopoulos

Welcome back to Term 2.

Happy Easter.

Yes, it is Easter season in the Catholic Church. To recognise this, last Tuesday on our first day back at school, the whole College gathered together in prayer.

We firstly gathered at the front of the school around the flag poles to pray for peace (recognising ANZAC Day) and acknowledge those who had fought and given their lives in war – striving for peace.

We then moved to the oval for our Easter prayer service – recognising the risen Christ and the message of love and peace that He brings.

Our Liturgy Captain, Caitlin G, began our Easter prayer with the following:

We gather once again this morning, but this time for the Easter Liturgy. We now shift our focus away from the war and conflict in our world, onto the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as we celebrate Easter together.

As we heard in our ANZAC Day liturgy, war is a place of hatred and turmoil, and is not the kind of world that God made for us to live in. God created the Earth and all its beauty as a gift for us out of His love. The Earth was made to be a place of tranquillity and peace, not one of war. However, the resurrection of Jesus is a symbol of love and peace between God and His people, reminding us of His will for our lives, that we are called to be people of kindness and harmony.

This is actually demonstrated by Jesus when He greets His disciples for the first time after His resurrection; He says, 'peace be with you' - actually empowering their hearts to be filled with peace as they live out their lives. And Jesus gives this Easter message to each one of us too, calling us to be peacemakers and people of love.

Through the miracle of the resurrection, God is proclaiming how much He loves us, shown through these miraculous wonders. Jesus conquered death, rose from the grave, and turned death into life! What an amazing sign of God’s love that is! Easter is about this new life, this new beginning, and this bright light we are given to follow, which is Jesus Christ. God is calling us to come out of the darkness and follow the light of Christ as we celebrate Easter together.

Student Progress Meetings

Thank you to all families who attended the recent Student Progress Meetings. These meetings are a key part of the reporting process for Our Lady of Sion College but more importantly, they are part of the ongoing dialogue between the College and families, and are a living out of what it means to be ‘named and known’. We would love to gather some feedback on families’ experience of the SPMs by completing this short survey here.

NAPLAN

From Thursday 12 May our Year 7 and 9 students will be completing the NAPLAN assessments. Information has previously been communicated to parents about this. NAPLAN should be ‘low-stakes’ assessment. In other words, students should not feel pressure to achieve at a certain level, or to better their previous results. However, any testing can raise anxieties or cause concern in individuals. A key way to manage any concerns is through practice and exposure. The NAPLAN public site has lots of practice examples that can be experimented with and talked over. Conversations around valuing the person for their work ethic and approach to challenges, their core values and overall kindness are also crucial to put any testing nervousness into perspective.

Years 10 and 11 Exams

While we have just commenced Term 2, our Year 10 and 11 students and teachers are looking forward to the Year 10 and 11 exam period which commences on 1 June. This is a crucial preparatory process for students and is designed for them to indicate, not just their knowledge and understanding across a semester’s learning, but also to sharpen their assessment readiness skills in preparation for scored exams in Units 3 and 4.

Now is the time to be looking at study and revision practices, not just homework and the completion of assessment tasks. Subject teachers will have specific advice for how to effectively study, however our 2021 High Achieving students also had some good advice to offer. You can view a recording of the Top Achievers Assembly Interviews here.

New Child Safe Standards

While the Child Safe Standards have been in effect in Victoria since 2016, the Victorian Government has announced that new Standards will commence on 1 July 2022. The College is currently working to ensure that our current seven standards and, Child Safe Policies and procedures are expanded to address the eleven new Standards.

With the move to eleven Standards, the College community will see:

• a greater emphasis to involve families and communities in the College’s efforts to keep students safe

• a greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people

• an expansion to further manage the risk of child abuse in online environments.

For the moment, I will list the eleven Standards and over the coming term, I will be unpacking each Standard in the newsletter so that families may better understand what they address and what you will see the College doing to comply with each Standard.

​​Child Safe Standard

1. Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued
2. Child safety and wellbeing are embedded in organisational leadership, governance, and culture
3. Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
4. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing
5. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice
6. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice
7. Processes for complaints and concerns are child-focused
8. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training
9. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed
10. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved
11. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people

If you would like to know more about the Child Safe Standards, I encourage parents/carers to visit this link.

Acts of Service

In concluding my article this week, I would like to thank the 53 students from Years 7-10 who gave of their time to assemble the Significant Women's Day Breakfast gifts. This act of service was undertaken with great generosity, a keen sense of teamwork and a lot of fun by the students who stayed after school.

This morning, over 500 significant women and Sion students celebrated all that the special women in our lives do for and with us. The buzz in the Louise Humann Centre reflected the joy that we share when our College community comes together.

My sincere thanks to all of the staff and students involved in the preparation of food and the Parents’ Association for financial support of the event.

I cannot express how happy I was for our Year 12 students that their much anticipated formal was able to take place on the last evening of Term 1. It was such a lovely celebration for students and staff.

The venue was so fitting for the occasion and the looks of excitement on the faces of the students and partners as the doors to the ballroom opened will remain with me throughout the year. In between conversation and eating at the tables, DJ Victor pumped up the tunes and had both staff and students dancing the night away. The photo booth was also a hit as everyone took the opportunity to grab a few snaps with friends as a memento of the evening.

All who attended contributed to the positive vibe of the night and I am sure it will remain a memorable event for all our Year 12 students. Myself and other staff members were so impressed with the way students and partners conducted themselves throughout the evening. From greeting staff and introducing partners on arrival to sincerely thanking staff on their departure. Thanks to all students and their partners for making it such a great night.

Formal was a night to remember for us as Year 12s and a long time coming. It was great to finally dress up and celebrate a night with friends. The night was filled with dancing thanks to DJ Victor. Thanks to everyone who made formal possible. It was a great night! Hayley B, 12 Silver

After three failed attempts, collaboratively as a year level, we were able to gather to celebrate the night of our Year 11/12 formal. The anticipation in the week leading up created a buzz throughout the cohort, ultimately leading to such excitement on the night. It was great to see everyone outside of our school environment, having fun with one another, and it was definitely a highlight of our year. A massive thank you to our amazing Year 12 coordinator, teachers and leadership team, for all their efforts in organising such a wonderful night. Ruby M, 12 White

I had been looking forward to the formal since I first heard about it in Year 7, and although there were some hiccups along the way, it was absolutely worth the wait! Everyone arrived in incredible outfits and the music kept us going all night. By the end of it my voice was practically gone, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The night will unarguably go down as one of the best nights ever! Alannah W, 12 Red

Welcome back Year 11s (and to our parents and carers)! We hope you had a restful break, and that you were able to stay well and reconnect with the things that bring joy and love into your life. After Week 2, we are back in business for our VCE and VCAL students. The focus for this term will be ‘looking ahead’ toward some of the big events for the Year 11 cohort: Semester 1 Exams, the Formal and Indigenous Immersion.

• Exams will be taking place during Week 6 and 7 of Term 2. Students will be working towards finalising content, key knowledge and skills over the next few weeks. In the lead-up to the exam period, students will be completing final assessment tasks, alongside the preparation and revision for their exams. This will challenge our students in regards to their time management and ability to prioritise study and will be an ongoing focus throughout Term 2.
• Year 11 Formal will be taking place Friday 15 July. During Pastoral last week, I was able to share some of the details the student leaders and I have been working on during Term 1 including the venue, potential ideas for decorations, and styling for the night. The student leaders voted for the theme, ‘A Night to Remember’ – High School Musical inspired! I shared some of the expectations and requirements, in order to attend the event. More information and documentation will be communicated soon.
• Indigenous Immersion Last week during our first assembly, Lucy Miotello (Social Justice Coordinator) launched the Indigenous Immersion experience. This will be taking place from Wednesday 14 September to Wednesday 21 September. This is offered to Year 10 and 11 students, where 24 students will be selected. Students have already completed their applications and will be called in for an interview.

We hope your daughter is excited to take part in these opportunities, offered by the College. We also look forward to supporting your daughter through the completion of their Year 11 exams/final deadlines for VCAL.

Exams, tests, assessments, feedback and what do I do with all of this information? Week 6 of this term will see our Year 10 students undertake their Semester 1 exams and I would like to start the conversation early. Exams are an opportunity for students to show what knowledge they have learned throughout the semester. Some information will come more easily than others. From the upcoming exam period, all students will have the chance to determine what works well for them:

• How do I best prepare?
• What is the difference between study and homework?
• How do I ensure that I don’t leave it until the last minute?

Each student will be different and some strategies will work for some, but not others.

As a start I would like the Year 10 community to ensure that the following strategies are put in place:

• A quiet study space, with no electronics, is available. (Put that phone in the pantry!)
• That study is time-bound to 45 minutes (that is you complete a study period for 45 minutes and then have a 15-minute break)
• That you don’t just re-write notes, but also apply your knowledge, doing quizzes and ensuring you ask your teachers questions during each and every class.

The last strategy I would like to encourage is a consistency of good sleep hygiene in the lead up to and throughout the exam period. On average, 15-16-year-olds require eight to ten hours of sleep per night to allow for optimal performance. I would like to encourage all families to support this by ensuring that your daughter(s) are doing their best to get this amount of sleep. It is important that they are off their devices at least 30-60 minutes prior to their bedtime as blue screen light (which iPhones etc emit) will delay sleep. I would also like to share this resource from betterhealth.vic.gov.au that talks about teenagers and sleep.

Finally, I want to plant the seed that, in exams, we are not seeking perfection, we are seeking an opportunity to show what we know and what we understand. From this experience, our students will receive feedback that will allow them to take the next step to grow and understand how to best continue their lifelong learning process. That is what exams are about, developing our skills to enhance learning.

I now hand over to 10 Purple for a Term 1 reflection and for what Term 2 has in store for us:

We hope everyone had a restful Easter break! Easter is a great opportunity to connect and spend time with your friends and family.

Term 1 was exciting for Year 10 students. They stepped up to the challenges of being in Year 10, like more homework, more responsibilities like leading College Tours for the first time, and helping out with peer support. There were many wonderful events and new experiences like the tough Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Adventurous Journey and the House Swimming Carnival. Above all, last term was a fun and interesting term despite all of the COVID-19 related interruptions we have faced.

In Term 2, there are so many opportunities for Year 10 students to get involved like the Athletics Carnival, Cross Country, ballroom dancing and so many other fun activities. Another big thing that is coming up in Term 2 is our mid-year exams, although it may be stressful, just remember that your teachers are here to support you and it's okay to be stressed. Keep a lookout in the bulletin and emails for more news in the upcoming weeks. Isabel G, Mackenzie T, Ella S, 10 Purple

Days for Girls is an international non-profit organisation that prepares and distributes sustainable menstrual health solutions to girls who would otherwise miss school during their monthly period, due to lack of access to products and toilets. At Year 9, in line with our Sion charism, we try to educate students about our call to action and reaching out to others who do not have the same opportunities as we do.

On Tuesday 3 May, we were lucky enough to have a volunteer from Balwyn North Rotary, who directly supports Days for Girls, come and speak about the organisation and the issues they are trying to help alleviate. In support of the organisation, we will host ‘Packing Days’ throughout the year whereby Year 9 students can volunteer to help prepare hygiene packs that can be distributed by Days for Girls. We are also hoping to organise some fundraising events.

Students who volunteer to participate in the workshops will assist with sewing, tracing patterns, adding press studs, cutting, overlocking, folding and packing. I encourage families to have a conversation with their daughter at home about this and I look forward to seeing what we can do to support this worthy cause.

Please see this link to a video about the organisation.

Finally, throughout the year so far, many families have contacted the College for various reasons, some struggling to find the correct staff member to talk to regarding their daughter's education or wellbeing. Please refer to the diagram below for future reference and I hope this can assist you in navigating contacts.

And we’re back for another term! It was great to see the students so eager to catch up with each other to share what they got up to during the break. It was likely the most ‘conventional’ holidays and start to the school year we’ve had for some time now. There were some tired eyes in the first week but they seem to have settled back into their routine.

In light of the discovery of some TikTok accounts using the school’s name without permission (information regarding this has been emailed to all parents/carers), I thought it would be fitting to share a couple of suggestions in regard to doing a social media check-in with your child/children. Supporting young people to be safe, responsible and positive online is a key challenge for educators and parents alike. Students are cyber natives but can be naïve when protecting their cyber security. Some topics for discussion could be:

• Is your account on ‘private’? If their account is on ‘public’, anybody can access their profile and posts they make.
• Do you know all of your ‘followers’ / people who can view your profile and posts? As a rule of thumb, they should only be connecting with people they have actually met in person to ensure that they are indeed genuine.
• Does what you view on social media have a positive influence on you? Teenagers are faced with a plethora of challenges during their adolescence, so any accounts that induce sadness or negativity are not adding value to their everyday life…unfollow.
• What makes a strong and secure password? This can significantly reduce the risk of being hacked.
• What do you post/interact with? Protecting and being conscious of what they put up online and how it can make you ‘traceable’.
• We want the girls to be alert online, not alarmed.

It is very important to be aware of these topics so that your child/children are prepared and supported to thrive in the digital world. There is a range of free, downloadable Digital Thumbprint Parent Conversation Guides for parents and care-givers that support you to have effective conversations about what young people should and shouldn’t share online, cyberbullying, and how digital technology can support effective study practices.

Want more support navigating the online world? The eSafety Commissioner is always there to support you and your child/children to report any issues online, and Kids Helpline provides a safe space for young people aged 5 – 25 to work through anything worrying them both online and off. If the matter is of a more severe/urgent nature, please contact your local police station. Of course, they can always approach their Homeroom teachers or me for support as well.

Please visit this website for further information on ways to support your child/children to be safe online by doing things like safeguarding their privacy on popular games and social media apps and how to create strong passwords.

It has been wonderful to be experiencing all that Melbourne has to offer within the Performing Arts community again with the Comedy Festival just passed and many major musicals and productions in full swing around town. There is something even more magical about experiencing a trip to the theatre after the last two years where this experience has been largely unavailable to us. Now it's our turn at Sion to return to the stage!

We are kicking off this term with a sense of excitement as we head towards the staging of this year’s Senior Play Clue On Stage (High School Edition). With a colourful set of suspects, this comedic reimagining of the popular board game Cluedo will leave you guessing 'Whodunnit?' until the very end. Tickets have only just been released for the play on trybooking.com/BYWUV. Performances will be held in our very own Miriam Theatre on Thursday 26 May at 7.00 pm, Friday 27 May at 7.00 pm and Saturday 28 May at 12.30 pm and 7.00 pm.

Our cast and crew of Year 10-12 students are eager to present their work to audiences and we cannot wait to once again welcome our community members into the College for a major production! Book your tickets for all of the suspects in your family and friends' group ASAP!

Later this term, House Theatre Sports will be held. This event is always well received by our Drama students from both the performers and the spectators' perspectives! Look out for more information within bulletins about how you can be involved in performing with your House. Year 7 students will also be offered a workshop to run through some Theatre Sports Games in preparation for their Junior Lunchtime Theatre Sports Day.

Also to come on the Drama calendar, more lunchtime workshops that are both teacher and student-led, the Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 performance evenings where work from the Semester thus far will be showcased and more excursions to see professional work to inspire our students' own work!

NAPLAN

The next few weeks are going to be busy for our Year 7 and 9 students who will be completing their NAPLAN tests. In preparing for these tests, it is important that students know when the tests will be taking place by adding the dates in their diaries and organising the materials they will need to complete the tests, which are a fully charged iPad, headphones and a pen.

Last term the students undertook two practice tests where they were given the opportunity to see the platform and use the site functions. If students were unavailable for these tests, it is important that they use the resource provided to them via email and access the NAPLAN public demonstration site. The site will allow students to trial these functions for themselves, which is especially important for students who have not undertaken NAPLAN online in the past. For parents and carers seeking more information about NAPLAN, please see below a link to the parents and carers' brochure.

NAPLAN public demonstration site:

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

NAPLAN information brochure for parents and carers:

https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support

NAPLAN Timetable

• Wednesday 11 May - Writing (Year 7 Period 3, Year 9 Period 2)
• Thursday 12 May - Reading (Year 7 Period 2, Year 9 Period 3)
• Monday 16 May - Conventions of Language (Year 7 Period 3, Year 9 Period 2)
• Wednesday 18 May - Numeracy (Year 7 Period 1, Year 9 Period 2)

Makeup Sessions for Absent Students

• Friday 13 May
• Thursday 19 May

Laura Geilings and Jerani Pettikiriarachchi

The Visual Arts Afternoon of Insights ran on Wednesday 6 April and was attended by VCE Visual Arts students providing them access to a panel of past students who engaged in the Visual Arts during their time at Sion. The past students answered questions regarding their own studies in the variety of Arts subjects the school offers. The past students also provided insights into their own creative journeys including what enhanced their VCE experience and what they wish they knew prior to undertaking their School Assessed Tasks which play a predominant role in Art, Studio Arts, Media and Visual Communication Design.

The Afternoon of Insight was a valuable experience and extremely helpful in answering my questions regarding Visual Arts subjects. It was also interesting hearing past students talk about different university courses I could consider in the future. The Q & A provided me with tips to help me make the most of my available resources, manage my time and stay motivated. I am so grateful to the past students who came in to talk as they were informative and relatable since they had completed the subjects I am studying now. I also learned how important it is to find a balance between school and social life and how I can strive to achieve this. Overall, I am so appreciative of the efforts of the teachers, and past and present students who managed to put together this event. Brittany Q, Year 11

Discovery Learning

Ayin Mock Job Interviews

Congratulations to our Year 9 students who last Friday 29 April took part in mock job interviews as part of their Ayin World of Work unit. The interviews were the culmination of several weeks’ worth of working on writing cover letters and resumes, discussing career and job aspirations and workplace skills and safety, and practising interview skills in class. Students came to school dressed in interview attire and undertook the ten-minute interviews with a great sense of professionalism. Students should be proud of their efforts and performances. It is hoped that they will take this experience and the feedback they receive with them to confidently enter a professional interview in the future. This wonderful opportunity could not have occurred without the generous donation of time from the following Year 9 parents and staff members, to whom we extend our thanks:

• Celia Abdo
• Deirdre Diamante
• Marcello Diamante
• Trudy Frankensteiner
• Simone Lawrence
• Pat Mannix
• Suzanne McNestrie
• Joanne Novak
• Paul Rowley
• Fiona Thompson
• Shannyn Thorne
• Peter Varga
• Mark Waddick

MACS Principals' Mass and Dinner

Last week, five of our senior singers from the College Vocal Ensemble performed at the annual Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) dinner which was held at the Park Hyatt hotel in the city. 300 principals from Catholic schools across Melbourne, including Mrs Apostolopoulos, were in attendance. Congratulations to Maja J, 11 Gold; Ella C, 11 White; Sareana B, 11 White; Anabelle T, 11 Silver; and Naya H, 11 Red who represented our school so well and a special thanks to Mrs Janine Jones who directed them. The girls performed Ai-ee-yu, a delightful piece composed by Melbourne singer and composer Lisa Young, and had the chance to perform the song again at the Significant Women’s breakfast.

All-State Jazz Competition

Next weekend we have two ensembles representing Our Lady of Sion College at the All-State Jazz championships held at St. Leonard’s College in Brighton. All the jazz students from Jazz Club and the Senior Jazz ensemble have been working really hard and we look forward to playing at the amazing venues.

Ensembles Concert Thursday 16 June – save the date

We are very excited to be able to present the annual Music Department Ensembles Concert this year as part of Music Week. All College ensembles, large and small, will be performing. It will run in two ‘acts’ according to the schedule below:

• Act 1: 5.00 – 6.30 pm; Year 7 Junior Concert Band 1 (Monday morning group), Brass Ensemble, Jazz Club, Year 7 Junior Strings, Flute Ensemble, Intermediate Strings, College Choir, Senior Concert Band
• Act 2: 7.00 – 8.30 pm; Combined Choir, Year 7 Junior Concert Band 2 (Tuesday afternoon group), Rock Band, Jazz Club, Year 7 Choir, Senior Strings Octet, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate Concert Band, College Vocal Ensemble, Senior Jazz Ensemble

Term 2 Soiree – date change

I encourage as many instrumental and classroom students to sign-up to perform solo music items at the Term 2 Music Soiree, to be held on Monday 30 May at 5.00 pm in the Miriam Theatre. Please note, this is a change of date from the one indicated in the last Newsletter. Interested students need to talk to their instrumental/classroom teacher, or email mmacaulay@sion.catholic.edu.au

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Students and families can find the Fortnightly Careers newsletter here.

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

• Upcoming Events – Victorian Careers Showcase 2022 and Victorian Law Week 2022, Photography Studies College Open Day, La Trobe University Aspire webinar
• Area of Interest in the Spotlight – Arts degree
• Things to consider – 2022 Year 10 Morrisby Information Evening, Focus on Melbourne series, RMIT Discover What’s New series
• Research ideas – Year 12 La Trobe Aspire program, Solar Apprenticeships for Women, Monash MySci Program, Swinburne University, Bachelor of Applied Innovation.

Term 2 Sport has begun with all weekly trials wrapping up and the first rounds of weekly sport underway this week, including, Netball, Hockey, Australian Football and AFL 9s. The Senior Netballers started us off with two dominant wins against Firbank hosting our first home games in the LHC for the year.

The Sion Cross Country team is busy training Monday and Wednesday mornings in preparation for our Preliminary and Championship Interschool Carnivals. All students are encouraged to speak to us at the Sports Office, if they would like to join our GSV Cross Country team!

Athletes of the Week

Do you have an outstanding sporting achievement or know someone who does? Please let us know!

Project Compassion

Last term, we raised funds for Project Compassion and the total raised for 2022 was $3,738. This amount can provide education assistance for secondary students in Mozambique and can help three families to build a strong structured house and have a safe place to live in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The generosity of the Sion community will help to improve the livelihoods of these vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential and thrive.

House Social Justice

This week we launched the House Social Justice initiatives for Term 2. This is a joint venture between the House captains and Social Justice leaders. Each House has been allocated a charity that connects, in a specific way, with their House. Students and staff will learn about this charity and each House will also come together to participate in a fundraising event or initiative for their allocated charity during Term 2.

The allocation of charities is as follows

• Carmel House – Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
• Fatima House – Opening the Doors Foundation
• Loreto House – The Generosity Collective
• Lourdes House – Operation Toilets.

This week, Loreto House held its initiative day. All Loreto House students and staff were encouraged to show their support for Generosity Collective by affirming their commitment and supporting their work by writing a message on a green heart which was then displayed in the piazza for the school community to read.

Loreto House students and staff were also invited to bring in men’s and women's socks and underwear which will be donated to Generosity Collective to help provide essential clothing and items to those facing hardship in our community. There is still time to bring in your donations. These can be placed in baskets at Student Reception until 10 May.

The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) has officially re-opened to all students. We do have a limit of 40 students inside the LRC, but it does mean that after they sign in, students can come in at recess and lunch if they need to study or socialise.

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

We now have a total of six students who have completed the Challenge and a total of 2,007 verified books. What an effort! We have had 21 students completing the Challenge since our last LRC newsletter.

Congratulations to the following students who have completed the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge:

• Rose N, 10 Orange
• Chloe E, 9 Silver
• Zara T, 8 Gold
• Holly Y, 8 White
• Violet D, 7 Blue
• Emily K, 7 Gold

The Homeroom challenge is hotting up and these are our top 5 English classes!

• 7 Gold have read 134 books
• 9 Silver have read 117 books
• 8 Gold have read 114 books
• 7 Silver have read 104 books
• 7 Blue have read 100 books

Students are reminded to bring their student cards when they are coming to the LRC for Wider Reading and also any completed Bingo cards for authentication.

Book Bag Design Competition

The LRC is looking for designs that will be placed on reusable book bags at the College and has initiated a book bag design competition. The designs should depict themes of sustainability and Sion.

This competition will be open until Monday 23 May; digital entries are encouraged. Please submit your entries via the Visual Arts Competition Google Classroom code: prgxaxa. We look forward to seeing what you create!

MyConnect update

Students from Years 7-9, accessing MyConnect to view online textbooks via their iPads, are advised to shut down and restart their iPad if they discover a glitch such as not being able to load textbooks correctly.

When re-starting, any iPad updates will be pushed through including iOS updates. If problems persist in regards to accessing Textbooks online, please come and see one of the LRC Team members.

Families are invited to share details about our upcoming Information Evening with any families who are seeking enrolment for Year 7, 2024.

Mindfulness can support our:

• Resilience
• Manage stress
• Bring emotional balance into our lives
• Show us how to be present and in the moment
• Enhance concentration and focus
• Cultivate a sense of positive wellbeing.

The idea behind Mindful in May is simple: we provide mindfulness education, tools, and support for you to build a sustainable meditation practice in one month. Research shows it only takes 10 minutes of meditation a day to see significant positive benefits to your life!

For further information about the Mindful in May program please click here.

Our magazine for past students, Sionians | Beyond the Cherry Red Gates, is out now!

Please click here to read the Autumn 2022 edition of Sionians.

In this edition:

• find out why Sion has been such an enduring element in the lives of the extended family of sisters Amelia and Estella Faulisi, current students at the College, who have had an aunt and many cousins attend Sion

• we catch up with Dr Cindie Giummarra (Class of 2003) in our ‘Where are they now?’ section and learn about her outstanding career and achievements as an engineer

• we interview our very own Stephanie Jones (Arranga) from the Class of 2009 and Jordyn Frood from the Class of 2010, who tell us about their full-circle journey from Sion student to Wellbeing and Growth Leaders at the College

• the Daughter of Sion recipient for 2021, Abbey Dutch, writes a touching letter of gratitude, and so much more.

We hope you enjoy reading this latest edition.