2023 Issue No 14

CELEBRATIONS and FAREWELLS

As you can see by the photos that adorn this report, the valedictory evening that was held at Bunjil Place was a huge success with over 300 members of the college community gathering as one to farewell the class of 2023.

The night was filled with warmth, affirmation, friendship and reflection. The College is so proud of the class of 2023 and they are to be wished all the best in the next phase of their life, whether that includes further study, employment, travel or a gap year.

Our staff are to be congratulated for their input into our students, thus preparing them to take their place in the world as global citizens.

Thanks, must also go to the Senior School team for all the meticulous planning and organisation of the night. Thank you to the office staff who prepared all the awards and thank you to all the staff who attended and supported the evening.

Massive thanks to Meg Gogerly (The Boss of the Senior School) as she helped the team bring this wonderful night together. This was Meg’s last valedictory at the College and she is looking forward to some well-deserved R and R in 2024. We will have an opportunity to formally farewell Meg next year.

On another note, transition classes for Year 11 students going into Year 12 are happening in the ensuing weeks, as exams conclude for these year levels, that includes Year 10 moving into Year 11.

Every student, in every subject will have a task that will need to be completed over the summer holidays. The transition program establishes preparedness for the upcoming school year and allows all our students to start the year in a positive manner, willing and ready to take on the challenges that they will face.

The College program continues with all our students in Years 7-9 and they, too, have tasks to complete as teachers get ready to produce all the end of year reports.

James – College Principal

Exams

Congratulations to our Year 12 students for completing their final Year 12 exam this week.  It has been great to see the number of students onsite in the lead up to each exam, to either access resources including the knowledge of their Year 12 teacher, find a quiet space to study and create peer led study groups.  The smile on students faces as they exited each exam 

spoke volumes.  Not only of relief that each exam had been completed, but that the preparation undertaken held them in good stead to complete their exam with confidence.

We wish out Year 11 students well as their end of semester exams continue this week and they move into their kickstart program.

Our Year 9 and 10 students are moving into exam preparation and will be undertaking their exams soon, followed by their kickstart program.

Excitement is building for our end of year activities program for our Year 7-9 students later in the year.  Staff have been busy creating activities for this program.  More information will be advertised to the school community soon.

 Booklist  

The College booklist is now available to order resources for our students next year.  Parents can access links to the booklist on the college website here:

https://www.emeraldsc.vic.edu.au/parents/book-list/

Students undertaking a VCE English unit next year are encouraged to make use of the VCE early English booklist.  This will allow early delivery of text that will be required to be read over the summer break.

Information on how to order from the booklist can also be found on the college website but is also listed below.

College Captaincy

Our College Captains Caiti Ellis, Hayley Marshall, Jackson Acott and Ethan Crosher have represented the College ably, with pride and with passion.  It has been a privilege and pleasure to have worked alongside these Senior students in their role this year.  We are very proud of their accomplishments and thank them for their unwavering support of the College, and their steadfast and demonstrated commitment to uphold our College values of Respect, Harmony, Resilience and Excellence.

We now look forward to selecting our College Captains for 2024.  The panel, comprising College Council President Nadia Beardshaw, Assistant Principal Tanja Korsten and incumbent Caiti Ellis has shortlisted nine applicants.  Interviews will commence in the week beginning 20^th November.

Shortlisted students have submitted the following Campaign Briefs:

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End of Year Activities

End of Year Activities are open to students in Years 7-9 and are offered during the week of December 11-15.

Each of our Domains are offering a mixture of off- and on-site, free and payable activities for students to sign up to.  There are loads of exciting opportunities and activities – for example – Gumbuya World, Christmas Cookie baking, Rocketry, Anime Movies, 3D Printing, Dry Ice Bombs and other exciting science experiments, chess, music jam session, art and craft activities, shopping at Chadstone and an excursion to The Lume! 

These will be open for students to peruse within the next couple of weeks, with parents being able to pay/provide consent towards the end of November.  Keep a look out for posts on Compass!  

Janine McMahon, Tanja Korsten and Jarrad Donders – Assistant Principals

Vic All Schools Track and Field Championships  

Nate in year 7 completed this week at the Vic All Schools Track and Field Championships in Melbourne, Nate did an amazing job. 

200m Hurdles- 1st

90m Hurdles – 2nd

High Jump – 4th 

Regional Year 8 Girls Basketball 

10 year 8 girls headed to Dandenong to complete at the regional basketball event, the standard is very high. Our girls won one game, lost one by a few points and lost to the ultimate competition winners. 

Overall, the girls did an amazing job, and should be very proud. 

Yvonne Mauger – Sports Co-ordinator

Environmental Science Beach Cleanup

On a cool, windy first day of November, Middle Year Environmental Science travelled to Sandringham beach to participate in Love Our Streets beach clean-up. 

They were very focussed on the task, logging their collections on the Litter Stopper app so the data could go straight into the database, that will then directly upload into the Victorian Government Litter Watch database. They recorded hundreds of plastic items. Although we found plenty of snack wrappers and bits of fishing nets and line, a large amount of what we were after are what’s known as “microplastics,” (see photo below) tiny fragments many people don’t notice but can actually be the most dangerous of all for fish and sea birds, as the tiny floating bits resemble the fish eggs they eat.  Unfortunately, a larger number of sea animals are now suffering from ‘plasticosis’.   Rather than being caused by viruses or bacteria, plasticosis is caused by small pieces of plastic which inflame the digestive tract. Over time, persistent inflammation causes tissues to become scarred and deformed, with knock-on effects on growth, digestion and survival. 

We’ve been learning about microplastics in class, and how small, even microscopic, fragments of plastic are not just in the ocean but in the air, in the food we eat and the clothes we wear.  Working to clean up beaches, incorporating re-usable (rather than disposable) plastic items into our everyday lives, and pushing for better recycling programs are part of the goal of the environmental management portion of our curriculum. 

Though today’s collection was just 5 kg by weight, the large number of pieces collected offers important protection for the marine life whose habitat is just offshore: seabirds, fish and dolphins will not ingest these pieces all now safely binned.  

This information will be incorporated into our “War on Waste” CAT back at school.  The aim of this extended practical investigation is to collect and catalogue rubbish left lying around the school grounds, in hopes to incorporate better recycling and waste disposal options at Emerald Secondary College. 

Ashley Forster – Environmental Science Teacher

ESCape into the Arts     

We are pleased to announce that the first ‘ESCape into the Arts’ will be taking place next week. This week will be a celebration of all things visual and performing arts, including lunchtime activities on each day of the week, and on Wednesday students will be creating public works across the course of the day.

The week will culminate in our showcase on the evening of Wednesday 22nd, starting with a junior production at 5pm, an exhibition of student work from across the year (6pm), and the end of year concert at 6:30. Drinks and finger food will be provided at this event. We look forward to many members of the Emerald Secondary College community joining us in celebrating the talents and accomplishments of our Arts students throughout 2023.

Emerald Arts Society Next Gen

Emerald Secondary College students were well represented at the annual Emerald Arts Society exhibition showcasing their ‘Next Gen’ work. Congratulations to all students who entered, in particular Ruby Street of Year 9 who was awarded ‘Best in Show’ for the ‘Next Gen’ category of the exhibition, as well as Liezel Weiss of Year 10 being awarded the ‘Highly Commended’ prize for the under 20 category, and Tarlia Logiudice of Year 7 winning the prize for best work in the under 15 category.

Middle Years Photography Excursions

Over the past month the students of our Middle Years photography electives ‘The World Through the Lens’ and ‘Light and Studio’ have been taking their talents outside the classroom and into the diverse locations of Emerald Lake Park, Belgrave, and the Melbourne CBD. Students were excellent in the way they represented the school as they explored a range of activities including: ‘everyday beauty’, narrative photography, magazine cover shoots, and thematic photo essays.

Dale Fyfe and Peter McKenzie – Arts Domain Leaders

2024 Year 7 Parent Information Evening

A Parent Information night for the 2024 Year 7 families will be held on Wednesday 29^th November, 2023 in EPAC commencing at 6:30pm. All welcome.

Grade 6 Orientation Day

The Grade 6 Orientation Day will be on Tuesday 12^th December, 2023.  It will be a practice of a normal school day at ESC.  Students are encouraged to catch the bus,

BYO morning tea/lunch or the school canteen will be open to purchase food. The Year 6 students will meet at EPAC by 9:00am.