APC Newsletter August 2023

LOCAL LEGENDS ROCK THE HOUSE

BERETS FOR BASTILLE DAY

On July 14, the Languages Curriculum Team, with the assistance of the students in the ‘Programme d’Immersion Français’ as well as the Languages Captain at APC, organised several events in celebration of Bastille Day, the French National Holiday.

The day commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution and was first celebrated in 1790 in a spirit of optimism and unity.

APC commemorated the day by flying the French flag and adorning

IMPORTANT DATES

TUESDAY 1 AUGUST – FRIDAY 25 AUGUST

Year 12 Pathway planning

Parents and students need to book times via Compass. Deadline for bookings is 8 August at 10am.

SATURDAY 12 AUGUST

SEAL Exam for Year 7 entry in 2024

8.45am-noon

Gymnasium

Danks St campus

the balconies with ‘des guirlandes’ (garlands) on the second floor balcony railings.

Students tested their knowledge of history on this momentous day, competing for the illustrious (and quintessentially) French prize of a ‘pain au chocolat’.

Congratulations to the winners of the competition:

Ashleigh Hill, Connie Zografos, Lucas Chen, Lucian van Horne and Brianne Barton.

MUD DOESN’T SLOW DOWN CROSS COUNTRY TEAM

A team of nine students from APC took on the best at the recent State Cross Country Championships at Yarra Glen.

All students ran incredibly well on the muddy Yarra Glen racetrack course.

Special mention goes to the under 14 girls team (above) who won gold in the team event and were led by Bridgette Williams who came fifth overall.

The under 15 girls also did an incredible job, finishing second overall in the team event, led by Honour Tobin who came third overall.

MONDAY 14 AUGUST

Inspire Tour pre-departure meeting 5pm–6pm Drama space, Danks St.

TUESDAY 15 AUGUST

Year 12 Jump in the Bay event 8am

South Melbourne Lifesaving Club

THURSDAY 17 AUGUST

Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews

No formal classes

FRIDAY 25 AUGUST

IB Visual Arts Exhibition

4.30pm–6pm

Studio 120

MONDAY 28 AUGUST – THURSDAY 31 AUGUST

Australian Dental Health Visit Danks St

COVER: YEAR 10 STUDENT LEIF WEINGOTT AND THE ROCKMELONS AT THE APC MUSIC CONCERT. PICTURE: WILL CHEN

WE SET THE STAGE FOR MUSO STARS OF THE FUTURE

Last week featured one of the biggest events on the APC calendar – our Annual Music Concert.

This year’s theme was “Local Legends”, which was an apt description in so many ways.

The event took me back to our very first vaudeville show in 2011, which was held at the same venue: Memo Music Hall in St Kilda.

Since then we have grown enormously. Our fledgling music classes have morphed into the biggest instrumental music program of any state school in Victoria.

This year’s event included 98 student performers, led wonderfully by our Music Captains Luke Mason and Matilda Lester, and coordinated by our amazing Music Coordinators, Nate Taylor and Alex Hansen.

We are incredibly lucky to have such wonderful professional teacher musicians leading our student music

program. In fact, we have managed to tap into a hive of Melbourne’s elite jazz musicians – all not just excellent teachers by incredibly creative artists in their own right who appear regularly all over town.

This year’s performance covered the full range of music types: vocals, percussion, chamber strings and of course pop and rock. The student band Mansplainers, who featured recently at a concert in Federation Square, were a big hit, along with our Senior Rock Band.

In typical APC style, there were many original works, composed and arranged by the students themselves. We always insist on creativity.

This included the closing number “All the livelong day”, which will feature in the original musical we will be performing later this year. It’s a teaser to another great event.

Watching the Music Concert I couldn’t help but reflect on just how

brilliantly the college has achieved its founding goal of becoming a part of its community. We live in the artistic heart of Melbourne, and by staging the concert in a great St Kilda venue, we have truly taken on the responsibility for creating the musicians and other artists of the future.

The talent at the college is amazing and is about to explode onto the local scene. And I have no doubt many will make it onto the national and maybe even world scene as well.

Steven Cook Foundation Principal

SEEKING ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

A group of APC students were invited to the ABC studios in Southbank recently to be part of filming for a special high school edition of BTN (Behind The News).

BTN is a a long-running ABC program designed for young people that explores and explains news and current affairs.

The episode was filmed using a similar format to current affairs program Q&A.

The APC group, made up of Year 10-12s, listened to a panel of high schoolers and Federal Minister for Youth Anne Aly discuss topics such as the voting age, climate change and the Voice to Parliament.

Checking out the set after filming were (from left) Ani Gotfredsen, James Keating, Agnes McCallum, Sophia Amin, Sterling Baird, Mia

Dourlay, Daniel Carrick (standing) and Gopal Pingili.

With them were Student Voice leaders Fiona Wright and Kate Merakis.

The episode went to air live but can still be found on iView here

OUR SCHOOL IS ALIVE TO THE SOUNDS OF MUSIC

It was a night to remember as APC’s incredibly talented young singers and musicians took to the stage at Memo Musical Hall in St Kilda.

Almost 100 students took part in the college’s Annual Music Concert, living up to the concert’s theme of “Local Legends”.

It was a proud night for parents and the college’s music teachers to see so much talent on display.

The massive applause at the end of the evening said it all. Check out our Instagram for more shots.

PICTURES: WILL CHEN AND RYAN BASILE

STAFF AND STUDENTS

THE BARD COMES TO LIFE IN BAY ST

APC recently enjoyed the visit of a set of traveling players who turned the Drill Hall into the Globe Theatre. On the card, the tragical plays of Mr Shakespeare. Asked to describe the event, teacher Matthew Kulesza was moved to verse…

Amidst the Bay Street Campus, spirits soar, The Bard's allure, enchanting hearts and minds, Australian Shakespeare Company's grand tour, In Drill Hall's embrace, magic intertwines.

Year 9 students, eager souls embrace, As 'Romeo & Juliet' takes the stage, They partake in the play, a cherished space, Analyzing love and honor, page by page.

With passion's fervor, the scenes unfold, The timeless tale of star-crossed lovers' plight, Through student eyes, the story's depths are told, A journey shared, in learning's radiant light.

In Albert Park College, hearts unite, Shakespeare's legacy, a guiding light.

BOSCO PACKS A GOLD MEDAL PUNCH

During the recent school holidays

Bosco Misic competed at the 2023 Australian Schools Boxing Championships in Adelaide and won gold for the second year running.

The year 9 student, who competed in the under 17 60kg division, has been boxing since he was six.

And Bosco has set his sights high. His ambition is to compete in the Olympics and be the first Australian boxer to win a gold medal.

BOSCO WINS THE NATIONAL TITLE (ABOVE), AND READY TO RUMBLE AS AN EAGER SIX-YEAR-OLD (RIGHT).

RACHAEL GETS A SAY ON HOW TO SPEND BILLIONS

There are 128,000 teachers in Victoria, and Rachael Gore is representing them all.

As you read in our June edition, the Victorian Education Department selected Rachael – Ms Gore to her students, passionate crusader for STEM and student wellbeing – to participate with other leading educators in the Ministerial Review Group to design the new National School Reform Agreement.

The Agreement sets out how the billions of dollars in schools funding that the commonwealth allocates to the states and territories should be spent. It’s one of the biggest public expenditures our collective

governments make and is therefore hugely significant.

The participants were asked to focus on bold, creative, “spiky” ideas to improve the equity and excellence of Australian schools.

Rachael, who was given pride of place at the event next to the review group’s chairperson, tells us that all participants are determined to raise standards for everyone, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with disabilities, and First Nations students.

She said that APC’s recognition factor is incredibly strong among participants from all parts of Australia, and that our school was spoken of as a beacon

for others, with many ideas worthy of emulation, including our positive education and student voice programs and our emphasis on creativity and academic excellence.

We are, of course, delighted to offer the lessons from our success to other schools to help ensure every young Australian gets the best education possible.

The final report of the review group wil be released at the end of October, and we will ask Rachael to sum up APC’s influence in a future newsletter.

YEAR 10 PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENTS TAKE TO THE STREETS

Greetings, photography enthusiasts!

Our Year 10 photography students had an unforgettable experience during Term 2 as they ventured into the world of documentary style photography.

Guided by a fascinating lecture from the esteemed Photography Studies College (PSC) in South Melbourne, they set out to capture the essence of city life in their final photo series.

INSPIRING PSC LECTURE

Our talented students kicked off the term with a captivating street photography lecture by PSC's Stephanie Rose Wood. During this lecture, they learned about the art of storytelling by examining the work of past PSC students.

EXPLORING THE URBAN LANDSCAPE

Equipped with newfound knowledge and creativity, our young photographers headed into the city to seek inspiration. They discovered hidden treasures in the vibrant graffitifilled alleys, the elegance of Collins St, and the bustling lanes around ChinaTown.

FINDING BEAUTY IN THE ORDINARY

The cityscape became their canvas as they found beauty in ordinary

moments. Patiently waiting for the perfect shots, they learned the power of small gestures and fleeting expressions to tell impactful stories.

A JOURNEY OF GROWTH

As the term concluded, our Year 10 photography students had not only honed their technical skills but

developed a deeper connection with the world. The streets had taught them to observe, empathize, and appreciate the fleeting moments that shape our lives.

In celebration of their remarkable growth, we eagerly look forward to the next adventures of these budding visual storytellers!

Until next time.

Jessica Grilli Visual Art /

Teacher

Photography

OUR YEAR 10 PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS HEAD TO THE CITY.

A MEANINGFUL JOURNEY INTO RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

The Respectful Relationships Day was a really uplifting and positive day for Year 11 students, when we reflected on mental health issues and engaged with our peers on a deeper level.

The program helped us connect with ourselves and others, leading to meaningful discussions and conversations.

The Flourish Girl groups started the day with some ‘get to know you’ games which allowed us to create a safe and comfortable space.

We engaged in many activities throughout the day to help build confidence, understand ourselves better and to develop a stronger sense of community.

A favourite activity involved writing kind messages to each person in the

group, which produced many positive words about ourselves, filled the room with positive emotion and even brought some to tears (the good kind!).

It was such an inspiring experience that reminded us of the importance of kindness and of withholding judgment. We got so much out of the program!

The Man Cave groups were led by experienced facilitators who had unique stories and tools to share with each group.

The day was full of emotional ups and downs, with moments where we could

laugh and smile, and also moments where we were able to lean on each other for comfort and support.

Games helped create a safe space for everyone and understand that we are all unique and have stories that matter.

We learned that bottling up feelings leads only to pressure and that we need to express our emotions better.

The day showed us how much we share and created a stronger sense of community and connection amongst us.

Every student participated really well throughout the program, making it a really special day.

Overall, we went through a meaningful journey where we gained new tools for relating to each other and built stronger relationships.

Ella Jamieson and Aris Moustakas Year 11

TED KEEN TO DELVE INTO THE CRIMINAL MIND

THE

WITH TED HARVEY, WHO GRADUATED IN 2020, TO FIND OUT WHAT HE’S BEEN UP TO SINCE LEAVING APC.

AT APC I studied a wide range of subjects . I covered English, Maths, Science, and Humanities in my VCE studies but enjoyed Legal Studies the most.

I chose a wide range to keep my options open, but enjoyed legal the most because of my interest in the law.

THE best part of studying at APC was the friendships I made. I knew essentially no one when I was first in year 7 but my friendship group is made up predominantly of people I met at APC.

I also enjoyed finishing VCE and the relationships I built with teachers throughout the final years.

SINCE finishing VCE I’ve started studying a Bachelor of Law (Honours) at Monash University. I’m in my third year at university and enjoy it a lot. I have also started working as a Chiropractic Assistant, which is

essentially a glorified receptionist (see above).

I have continued playing sport and enjoy that (when I’m not injured which seems to be hard to escape).

HOPEFULLY in 10 years I will be a practicing criminal defence lawyer in Melbourne. While there are many areas of law I haven’t studied yet, I imagine I will remain interested in criminal law the most.

In my personal life I would seriously hope I’ve moved out of home or something has gone terribly wrong!

A BIT of advice I would give to the current year 12s is to ensure that they try their best. Regardless of what the outcome is, they will feel much better having sacrificed a few small things for a few months, as opposed to neglecting their studies now and regretting it later.

Start practice exams as early as possible, do as many of them as possible under proper exam conditions, and don’t be afraid or embarrassed to make mistakes prior to the exams and assessments.

THANK you to the APC teachers that made high school so enjoyable, especially Miss O’Rourke.

JOIN OUR ALUMNI

If you’re a former APC student, register here to join our Alumni to stay in touch with your former classmates.

APC ALUMNI TEAM CAUGHT UP

SENIOR YEARS LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Our Annual Senior Years Expo took place on Thursday, July 13, at the Pickles St campus.

A steady stream of 300 people came through during the afternoon.

Students and their families spoke to subject leaders, sampled student work, sought careers advice and drank delicious hot beverages from the Melbourne College of Further Education.

A big thank you to the tertiary providers in attendance - Swinburne University, ACU, The University of Melbourne, RMIT and Monash University - who provided valuable information and resources for our students.

There are university guides available in the Senior Years Library for any students who missed out on the day!

OPEN DAYS

Universities and TAFEs are holding their open days throughout August.

Open days are great opportunities to get a taste of university life, and compare tertiary providers. To get the most out of the open days you attend, check out the following tips.

Questions to Ask

• What are the entry requirements for the course?

• Are any adjustment factors considered for applicants?

• What are the career outcomes for graduates?

• Does the degree include workintegrated learning, placements, internship programs, or mentoring?

• Are there study abroad programs, study tours or international programs offered in this course?

Things to See

• The facilities - each university or TAFE will have their spaces open and have technology on display.

• Student Life - find out the clubs and societies that are running.

• Performances and Student Workthere will be lots of exciting work to check out.

For a full list of Open Days click here

VTAC Information Sessions

VTAC is running a range of webinars to help applicants and their families with 2024 applications.

23 August at 6pm - Refugee and asylum seeker information session

30 August at 5pm - Nursing and midwifery

5 September at 5pm - Pathways

12 September at 5pm - Application process

15 November at 6pm - ATAR and Scaling webinar

5 December at 6pm - ATAR, scaling and December round offers

7 December at 5pm - Getting ready for your results

12 December at 6pm - Getting ready for December round offers

20 December at 5pm - Getting ready for January round offers

To register for a VTAC information session click here

View past webinars and information sessions on VTAC Media

CROW OF STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAME TO THE CAREERS EXPO AT PICKLES ST

AIDAN GETS A MEDIA SCOOP

SOPHIA’S EYES OPENED TO A GLOBALISED WORLD

Year 10 student Sophia Amin has described her recent attendance at the United Nations Youth Australia conference in Perth as an “eye opening experience”.

The theme of the conference was "Our Globalised World” and Sophia participated in a range of workshops throughout the week to discuss how globalisation has changed society socially, culturally, politically and economically.

Year 11 student Aidan Sinclair may have a career in journalism ahead of him after getting a story published in the Bendigo Times recently.

The IB student was part of the Youth Press Gallery in the 2023 Youth Parliament, and part of his role was to pitch stories from the Parliament to local media.

He took a keen interest in a bill put forward by Bendigo students to increase public safety in regional and rural areas.

He wrote the story, took some photos, and then pitched the package to the editor of the Bendigo Times.

The result was a great run in the Times. Great work, Aidan.

FRENCH STUDENTS SPEAK THE TRUTH

For 129 years, Alliance Française of Melbourne has run a state-wide school poetry recital competition.

This year, 6315 students across the state from Year 3 to 10 entered the competition.

Students at APC spent the early weeks of Term 2 studying a poem on the theme of ‘La vérité’ - truth. While all students recited the poem as a summative assessment, there were a number of brave candidates who put their name forward for this long standing competition.

Students had to log on to an online meeting from the Danks St, Bay St and Lakeside campuses to participate. Congratulations to Martin Anderson in (Year 10), Victoria Jahan (Year 9), and Hazel Lachal (Year 8) for being awarded a perfect 20/20 for their recital.

As finalists of the competition they will have to recite their poem for a second time to a panel of judges in an effort to take out top honours for the competition.

Félicitations et bon courage à eux!

“I also got down to business with intense and fast-paced debates to create and amend resolutions with delegates from all over Australia and New Zealand in the Legislative Assembly and Council of Western Australia's Parliament House,” Sophia said.

“Along the way, I was able to learn so much about myself, the city of Perth and pressing global issues.

“I cannot wait to share my learnings and tips with the Albert Park College Model UN club and other fellow student leaders.”

SOPHIA (ABOVE) AT THE UN CONFERENCE IN WESTERN AIUSTRALIA’S PARLIAMENT HOUSE.