COLLEGE CONNECT Edition 2 - Term 3 2021
FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK At the time of sitting at my desk to write this piece for the College Connect we have just been informed of a further extension to our lockdown restrictions meaning an extended period of Remote Learning. It is a cold and wet day and this adds to the disappointment and frustration I feel for all of us who are challenged by this period. It is ok to acknowledge our feelings and important to not simply pretend that this is not difficult for so many of us. Yes I am frustrated and disappointed that we are not able to be back at school together. I miss the joy and fun that each person brings to this school. I’m also mindful of the challenges so many students and staff find with remote learning, particularly with regard to their mental health. However, I also remind myself that I am privileged and lucky. I have so much to be grateful for and I know that we will overcome these obstacles and challenging times. It is the JPC way to support each other when times are tough. It is at those times when the true spirit and character of this community is seen. So let’s acknowledge the issues we face as individuals and as a community but I hope that we can also see the resilience, courage and sense of purpose that is evident. We will also be so much more grateful for each other and the gift of time together when we return. Stay safe, stay connected and I look forward to seeing you back at school.
John Visentin College Principal
PRAYER God of our lonely places and hard times, there is no place where your presence cannot be found. There is no situation beyond your love and care. Yet we confess we can sometimes lose our sense of your presence with us, when sorrows stack up or loneliness surrounds us. Forgive us we pray. Be near us as we go through every valley of shadow. Bring healing where there is pain, courage where there is fear, hope where there is despair. So let us rejoice that God’s love will never let us go. Amen
A MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM Welcome back to the August Issue of the College Connect! This period of extended lockdowns and remote learning can begin to get tiring and exhausting! That’s why this month’s issue is centred around the 2021 Leadership theme: “we overcome our floods to discover our rainbows’. During this time, we encourage you to not only be patient with yourself but also to intentionally do something that brings you joy! Whether that’s listening to your favourite playlist, going for a walk or even watching a show you’ve been looking forward to, it’s important to take time away from the busyness of life and have a break!
WE OVERCOME OUR FLOODS TO DISCOVER OUR RAINBOWS Our rainbow is metaphorically used to represent the happiness, satisfaction, content, gratitude, and multitude of other feelings that are often associated with overcoming tough and trying times, such as this current period of lockdowns. Rainbows are viewed from afar, allowing the entirety of their beauty to be seen, this reflects the constant pursuit individuals and communities are aspiring towards over their lifetime. They may seem distant but as we overcome our floods, our goals, and desires, which were once only a glimpse, start to become a reality. Everyone’s situations are different, each with their own floods to overcome, and their own rainbows to venture towards. However, we are all on our journeys together, as a community. Within our rainbow there is Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. The inclusion of these colours was important to the Year 12 leadership team as they reflect the LGBTQ+ members of our college community and show that we stand with and support them. The colours of our houses; Turner, D’Houet, Olsen and Chaminade are present, aimed to remind us of that courage, generosity, perseverance, and a strong community can inspire us to overcome our floods and pursue the journey to our rainbow. Focusing on the faith tradition in which our school was founded, the Rainbow represents an ancient symbol of hope. After discussing the many challenges that we face, especially throughout our school lives, the leadership team found deep inspiration from the story of Noah. After placing his faith in God and struggling against the storms, lood, and rains for days upon end, Noah found safety and peace in new land, heralded by the arrival of a Rainbow. Applying this imagery to our own lives, we think it’s really easy to get caught up in our own floods and storms, but if we can hold on to our faith and put our trust in others, we will all overcome challenges. We hope that this theme and quote brings you comfort during this period of uncertainty as we find ourselves in lockdown once again, and as a community are able to find rainbows and moments of joy, despite the floods.
2021 College Captains, Monet and Ruairi
COLLEGE CAPTAINS 2022 Emmerson – College Captain The 2022 School Captain, Emmerson Hoareau, aspires to help each voice heard at JPC. Emmerson loves food, chilling with her friends and family and to vibe out to music. She loves anything to do with sport but especially playing netball and watching the NRL. Emmerson is very excited to represent JPC as School Captain in 2022 and can’t wait to help create positive change!”
Gabriel – College Captain The 2022 College Captain, Gabriel Gallego, aspires to be a positive influence in his role as a leader. He relishes in supporting others, loves hanging out with friends and his favourite genre of movies is action. He’s also a huge basketball fan and particularly enjoys watching the NBA or NBL. His dream job would be playing professional basketball and being an inspiration for youth and children. Gabriel is thrilled to be a leader in 2021 and can’t wait to work with the amazing community of JPC.
VICE COLLEGE CAPTAIN 2022 Talisha Vice College Captain and SRC Leader Talisha Bright is so excited to be your Vice Captain and SRC Leader for 2022! Throughout lockdown times, she has enjoyed cooking, bike riding and watching movies with her family. Her hobbies include reading, photography, and travelling/camping. She is passionate about saving the planet and hopes to work in wildlife biology and environmental science… and maybe someday write a book. As Vice Captain and SRC leader she looks forward to hearing everyone’s ideas and promoting student voice within the John Paul College community.
COMFORT FOOD BEST RECIPES FOR REMOTE LEARNING! Flourless Chocolate Cake Prep: 10 minutes Cooking: 40 minutes Ingredients: 200g of butter (room temperature) 200g of drinking chocolate 200g of almond meal 200g of caster sugar 5 eggs Method: Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees, fan forced Put everything in a bowl and mix well Grease a shallow cake pan (can also be put in a brownie tray to make brownies!) Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes! When cooled, dust it with icing sugar and add raspberries (optional)
HOW WE’VE COPED WITH REMOTE LEARNING Here’s what our Year 9 and 12 leaders have been doing to bring them joy in lockdown: Listen to a Spotify playlist with my favourite songs Go for a walk around my neighbourhood everyday Take breaks away from my computer and desk to ensure I’m giving my brain the breaks it needs Make my bed every day to help create routine and structure in an otherwise monotonous day Spend time playing with my dogs outside! Change up where I study – when it’s a nice day I’ll study outdoors! QuaranTunes- Top 10 Songs to get through the day! – Isabella Gervasoni This playlist is filled with feel-good songs that we hope bring you joy and positivity!
WELLBEING ACTIVITY
TEACHER PROFILES MR NGUYEN Why did you choose to teach the subject/s you do? This is an incredibly interesting question that I could totally talk your ear off about! I've always wanted to be a teacher (lame I know) but I always assumed it would be Maths or English. I didn't really think I would possibly be a music teacher until I had two of the most amazing music teachers in year 11 and 12. They not only inspired my love for Music but showed me a world where people could come together to celebrate something that really is quite remarkable. I owe a lot to those two teachers and it is truly remarkable how just a few small actions from two inspiring people have changed my entire future and outlook on the teaching profession. If you could have any superpower, what it would it be and why? The Flash is the most amazing super hero ever so I would have to go with the ability to use the speed force. Gotta go fast! What’s your best life advice? One of my mentor teachers when I was a budding young student teacher gave me a book filled lessons learnt through her time teaching. I value each and every single one of those but really, everything I do can be traced back to two quotes from two completely different people. The more PG rated one is from a physicist Albert-Laszlo Barabasi who once wrote "Time is our most valuable non-renewable resource, and if we want to treat it with respect, we need to set priorities". In simple English, Time is the only thing in life that you can never get back once it's gone. I value anyone who lends me a bit of their time as it really is the most valuable thing we can give to someone else.
TEACHER PROFILES MS MACE Why did you choose to teach the subject/s you do? As a kid I spent most of my lunchtimes in the PE store room organising all of the equipment. Sport was and still is my everything. As I got older, I coached and played as many sports as possible. Looking back on my childhood I really had no choice. I was always going to be a PE teacher. Apart for my love of all things sport, one of the other reasons I wanted to teach PE is to support and encourage girls to keep being active. I had noticed that as I got older many of my friends stopped playing the sports they loved. I found this sad and wanted to help in any way I could. My other subject is Outdoor Education. I love nature and am passionate about the environment and I love the fact that I get to share that with students every day. It is amazing to watch as they explore the outdoors and become more aware of their impacts.
If you could have any superpower, what it would it be and why? My superpower would have to be the ability to talk to animals. My dog and I could have secret conversations, and no one would know what we were saying. Plus, how cool would it be to talk to a 150 year old tortoise and hear about its life. What’s your best life advice? You can only control yourself so make sure you are being your best self at all times. Also try not to worry what other people think. If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? This is a tough one! Probably a dog. They have the best life: sleep, eat, and play. That suits me perfectly.
TEACHER PROFILES MRS BREARLEY Why did you choose to teach the subject/s you do? I chose the subjects I teach because I am passionate about them. Students pick up on whether teacher’s love their subject or not - it can impact on their learning outcomes.
If you could have any superpower, what it would it be and why? If I had a superpower it would be to make all students able to read and write at birth.
What’s your best life advice? My best life advice is ‘Love what you do and do what you love’.
If you could be any animal, what would it be and why? If I were an animal I would be a dolphin – surrounded by water and feared by no one.
SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE AT JOHN PAUL COLLEGE
Pastoral Teachers House Coordinators Ms Duffee (Student Wellbeing Coordinator) DufJ@jpc.vic.edu.au Mr Riddle (College Counsellor) RidJ@jpc.vic.edu.au Ms Saraceni (Student Counsellor) SarA@jpc.vic.edu.au