The St Spyridon Newsletter #103 for February 2013

VOLUME XXX No 2 22nd February, 2013

DATES TO REMEMBER FROM THE COLLEGE

FEBRUARY ACER Scholarship Exam

23rd

P & F AGM

26th

Swimming Carnival SS

28th

MARCH World Maths Day

6th

Independent Schools’ Expo University of Sydney

9th & 10th

Meatfare Sunday

10th

Vaccinations Years 7 & 9

13th 16th &

Greek Festival of Sydney

17th

Cheesefare Sunday

17th

Lent Begins

18th

25th March celebrations

24th

Annunciation of the Theotokos School closed

25th

ISA Swimming Carnival

27th

Western Good Friday Public Holiday

29th

OF

ST SPYRIDON COLLEGE PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2013 6:30PM – REFRESHMENTS

7PM – MEETING COMMENCES

LIBRARY

APRIL Public Holiday – Western Easter Monday

1st

Twilight Tours SS

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Year 12 Half Yearly Exams begin

8th

Term 1 ends for Students & Staff

12th

th

Term 2 begins for Students & Staff Holy Monday

HEAD

29th

JUNIOR SCHOOL CAMPUS ALL PARENTS & FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY ARE WELCOME! Everyone has something special and different to offer…. so please be in it for the education and future success of our children.

K

–

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NEWS

JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT

CONDOLENCES

SCHOOL TIME CHANGE As Year 2 are now situated on the Primary side of the Junior School it has been decided that time could be used more effectively if Year 2 finished at the same time as Year 3, 4, 5 and 6. Year 2 up to date have been finishing at 3pm and then coming and sitting in the courtyard waiting for their parents. The majority of parents do not come till after 3.15pm when their other children are let out.

Therefore as of Monday 25th February 2013, Year 2 will be dismissed at 3.15pm. This allows another 15 minutes of useful learning time.

Kindergarten and Year 1 will be dismissed at 3pm.

Please collect your child and leave immediately. Parents who pick their children up from the primary courtyard please also pick them up and leave immediately to allow for other parents to find parking spaces.

In the morning please drop off your child and leave at 8.15am when teachers come out for supervision.

No parents should be in the playground after 8.15am on any morning except Wednesdays when you are invited to remain for Assembly.

P & F AGM We hope to see many parents, old and new at the P & F AGM which will be held on 26th February, 2013 in the Junior School library.

Please note that the traffic rangers will be doing spot checks.

FAREWELL

SUPERVISION TIMES

At the end of Term 4, 2012, we farewelled Mrs Sophie Balayannis from the position of Personal Assistant to the College and Enrolment Officer.

Supervision for the Junior School commences at 8.15am in the morning and ends at 3.45pm in the afternoon.

We thank her for her contribution to the good progress of the College. We extend every good wish to her and her family for a happy and prosperous future.

Any child found on the playground before 8.15am in the morning will be brought to the office and parents will be called in for an appointment to see Mrs Hamer to explain why their child was left unattended.

UNIFORM SHOP TIMES: 8.30 am to 10.00 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm – Wednesday only school term.

FACEBOOK DAMAGES It has come to our attention that many of our children are on Facebook and are placing inappropriate comments and photos on their Facebook thinking that because they are sending it to ‘friends’ that it is safe. Please note it is not safe, as a matter of fact it has proved to be very dangerous.

The uniform shop will not be open Wednesday, 10th April - the shop will be open Tuesday, 9th April instead for that week only.

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Be aware that it is illegal for a child under the age of 13 to have Facebook and that parents are liable for allowing it. Children in many cases think they are being entertaining but instead their comments and in some cases revealing photos are being passed on by their so called ‘friends’ and therefore puts them and their reputations in danger.

PETROL STATION Parents are leaving their cars at the Petrol Station on the corner of Bruce Street and Gardeners Road, then coming to pick up their child from school, and returning to their car to leave. This is very dangerous as customers using the Petrol Station to fill up their cars with petrol, do not expect to find young children walking across the Petrol Station.

We have had reports of 2 near misses of children almost been run over as drivers did not see the child come up from behind their car. Please do not use the Petrol Station as a parking zone.

Please check what your child is doing and remove them from Facebook immediately.

PARENT TEACHER EVENINGS

INFORMATION

Thank you to all those parents who made the effort to attend the Parent Teacher Information evenings. There was a wonderful turn up of parents and very positive responses to the information provided by the staff. Any parent who did not receive the printed information please request it from your classroom teacher.

REMINDER: PARKING AT SCHOOL I have been asked by a few Infants’ parents in recent weeks, to talk to parents about parking across our neighbour’s driveways.

Neighbours have advised Mrs Hamer that they often cannot get to medical appointments, and on one occasion last year were unable to get their daughter to her HSC examination on time, because of the blocked driveway situation.

DRAWING CONTEST ANT1 Last year Stephanie Andreou, (Year 5A) as well as other children in our school took part in a Christmas Drawing Contest organised by ANT1’s Channels of the World.

There will always be problems with parking around any school. By parking illegally, drivers compromise road safety for all pedestrians, other motorists and risk getting a ticket. So please park a bit further away if you have to, and walk to school to pick up your child.

We are delighted to announce that Stephanie Andreou was one of the winners of the 5th Annual Drawing Contest and has been named as one of the World’s Greatest Painters. Her prize is an ipad2 and a year of free online Greek lessons

by Papaloizos Publications.

Be mindful of the staggered pick up time that was introduced to help alleviate the congestion.

Kindergarten and Year 1 lessons conclude at 3pm.

This should allow enough time to for parents to collect their children and leave the school grounds, so that others may find a suitable parking spot. It comes down to a question of courtesy and respect between parents, the school’s neighbours, and each other.

Congratulations Stephanie we are very proud of you.

Mrs M Kipriotis Infants’ Coordinator Mrs M. Hamer Principal Junior School

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SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT

look out for a like-minded person so that you can help each other along the way.

ACER SCHOLARSHIP EXAM

CONSOLIDATE: When you are learning new things, or have lots of new information heading your way, it’s important to take time to consolidate. This could be explaining what you are learning to someone like your parents, or it could be writing a short list or summary of what you have been told so you don’t forget it.

The ACER Scholarship exams for students in Year 7 and Year 11, 2014 will be held this Saturday, 23rd February, 2013 here at the Senior School. Students will be examined in Written Expression, Humanities and Mathematics.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Your attitude can make a world of difference to the type of experiences you have during any transition. Start noticing your thoughts. Are they negative or positive? You can start to take control and direct the way you think about a situation and this in turn will change how you feel. For example if something goes wrong and you notice you’re thinking something like ‘what an idiot, I can’t believe I did that’ immediately catch yourself and say ‘that’s a bit negative, after all, everyone makes mistakes, at least now I know what I need to do for next time’.

Eventually you can start to have a more positive reaction to things, look for the good in situations.

Good luck to all students sitting for these exams.

Individual letters have been sent to all concerned.

Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School

MIDDLE REPORT

SCHOOL

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

James Arthur Baldwin

AIM FOR PERSONAL BEST: Don’t compare yourself to other people. Aim for your own “personal best”. Strive to do the best you can, to learn, to grow and develop. We all have different skills and strengths and sometimes these aren’t always evident in the school situation. So just focus on being the best student you can be and celebrate all of your strengths and gifts – whether they show up in the school arena or in your outside life.

COPING WITH TRANSITION Many students will be experiencing some form of transition this year. Perhaps they have moved from Primary School to Secondary School. Maybe they are trying a new subject or changing levels within a subject.

With change, can come uncertainty and anxiety.

Whenever we are in a new situation, we have a period of time where we are learning and adapting. Below are some tips to help students make their transitions this year as smooth as possible.

PREMIERS (PRC)

READING

CHALLENGE

All Middle School students are once again encouraged to participate in this event which requires students to read as many books as they can from now until the end of September. If 20 books or more (15 from the PRC list and 5 of their own choosing) are read, students will qualify for a PRC Certificate. We encourage reading at the Senior School as it helps improve student’s overall literacy. To encourage and remind students of the importance of developing their skills in this areas, every week up to 15minutes of each Pastoral Care lesson is set aside for silent reading. PRC books can be borrowed from the school library which has a book bay specifically dedicated to this program. Additionally, students are expected to read at least half an hour each night/day on top of the time allocated for reading

ASK QUESTIONS: Ask lots and lots of questions. If you are unsure about something, don’t sit there in silence, ask a question. If you are uncomfortable asking the teacher directly, then ask a friend or ask the teacher after class. But be aware, there are probably many other students with the same question and they will probably be thankful that someone asks the question they also have!

FIND A BUDDY: It is much easier if you have someone to talk to about what you are both experiencing. Someone you can check things with, even just someone to listen to you when you want to moan and groan, or celebrate! You don’t have to specifically say ‘let’s be buddies’, but

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in PC classes. All parents should monitor their child’s progress and reading routine. Words are the foundation stones upon which every course and subject are based. By improving literacy through consistent reading, students will have greater opportunity to strengthen their engagement with lesson content.

PLANNERS All students were issued with their school planners on day 1. These are to be used for recording homework and other school activities ONLY, and not as a personal diary. It is expected that parents check their child’s planner on a weekly basis, and sign it in the designated area.

Weekly Planner checks are conducted by the Home Room Teacher for the previous full school week every Friday during the timetabled Pastoral Care lesson.

As mentioned in our last Newsletter the three Senior Prefects:- Mathew Kambos, College Captain, Leonidas Andrew, Vice Captain and Maria Mio, Senior Prefect attended the annual Prefect Seminar hosted by SCEGGS, Darlinghurst. Their Report can be found in the Prefects Section of the Newsletter.

PASTORAL CARE

AUSSIE BUSH CAMP

Congratulations to all the Prefects for the efficient manner in which they conducted Pastoral Care Leadership talks and guided the SRC nomination process with all Middle School students.

This week, from Monday 18th February to Wednesday 20th February, Year 7 and their Year 10 Peer Support Leaders along with Year 8, travelled to Tea Gardens for their annual camp.

As always there was much laughter, especially during activities like ‘Lost Island’, where everyone (including teachers) were covered in mud as they negotiated various commando style obstacles. I am sure no one will forget lying side by side in the mud trough while getting sprayed with water, singing the national anthem and doing sit ups! Even though there were also some visible signs of apprehension on the faces of some students when confronted with new challenging activities such as the Giant Slide, I am happy to report these were overcome … especially by those who braved going to the very top !

Student nominees are reminded that they will be required to write and present a short speech in front of their Home Room Class during Week 5’s Pastoral Care lesson, after which a vote will be undertaken. The 2013 elected SRC members will officially be presented with their badges at the Leadership Assembly to be held later this term.

Without doubt the highlight of our camp experience occurred on the second day. Here Year 7, 8 and Peer Support Leaders groups merged to travel to the sand dunes of ‘Dark Spot’. Apart from enjoying magnificent views, not unlike the Sahara, students and teachers raced to the dune peaks, performed a mass dance at the top, then rolled and ran down to the base. Next stop after this was the picturesque ‘Jimmy’s Beach’ at Hawks Nest. There students swam, played beach games and enjoyed a wonderful BBQ dinner. Overall, an enjoyable and fulfilling time was had by all. Congratulations to everyone

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for the enthusiasm and spirit of cooperation you demonstrated throughout our camp experience.

Thank you to all Year 10 Peer Support Leaders for the leadership shown towards younger students and to all the staff who left their families to attended this camp. Mr Condous (Year 8 Adviser), the Year 8 Home Room Teachers:- Ms Kladakis, Ms Davis, Mr Georgoulopoulos, and the Year 7 Home Room Teachers:- Mrs Kefalouros, Mrs Koutsoukis, Mrs Dalakiaris, and Mr Zafiropoulos. Your efforts in diligently supervising throughout along with your sense of humour were very much appreciated.

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BILPIN APPLES HAVE ARRIVED Last week, SRC representatives and I travelled to Bilpin to pick the apples from our four adopted apple trees. We expected to pick about 200kgs of apples, however due to the generosity of the farm owner Margaret Tadrosse, 300kgs were brought back. All students are encouraged to eat an apple a day, as a healthy snack. They are available free of charge from the canteen.

Ms G Kokinelis Dean of Middle School

CAREERS

COLUMN

Welcome back to our students and their parents and welcome to all our new students. We look forward to an exciting and challenging year ahead.

Congratulations to our Year 12 students of 2012. I have been tracking the 2012 destinations of the students. Many of our students have already accepted offers for University places in 2013. About 80 % of our students will undertake Bachelor Degree courses at Universities and Colleges this year. The other students have enrolled in courses at TAFE and private colleges or are commencing a ‘GAP’ year, working or travelling overseas and delaying further study for one year. We wish them well in the next stage of their career journeys.

Costs of Learning. These notes may help our present students and their parents to understand about the costs of studying. These tuition costs do not include books and equipment.

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around 7am, fly to the Gold Coast and return around 7pm in the evening. The cost is $90 per person. The day tour includes return airfare, transfers to and from the campus, 6 hours on campus which includes a campus tour, briefings from each of the 5 faculties, morning tea and lunch and an information pack. Experience Days always book out quickly as they only take 30 students. See me asap if you are interested.

On average, the Government pays for about threequarters of the cost of students’ study in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) – ie a business or law course may cost the government about $30,000 but the student only pays about $9,000 per year. Each University sets their own contribution amount, up to a ceiling which is imposed by the Government.

Student contributions will therefore vary between institutions and courses. This year, students will pay up to $9,000 annually for law, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, accounting, administration, economics and commerce courses; about $8,000 for computing, engineering and health courses, and up to $5,650 for education, humanities, arts, behavioural science, nursing, foreign languages and visual and performing arts courses. Mathematics, Science and Statistics have been declared “national priority” courses and have a ceiling of $4520.

LISTENING STUDENTS BUDDIES

TO

OUR

By Jonathon Lynch

At St Spyridon College Year 6 and Kindergarten participate in a Buddy Program every year. The Buddy Program gives Kindergarten an older brother or sister from Year 6 to show them what to do.

A student may pay the student contribution up front and receive a discount or they may request a HECS-HELP (Higher Education Loan Programme) loan and repay the loan later.

Repayments are based on the graduate’s income and are made through the taxation system at a later date when the students commence working and their income reaches a certain threshold eg in the past, $49,095.

My buddy is Ryan Lynch. He handled his first days at school very well. What I did to welcome him was to make a card, introduce myself and play some games. When we were playing, he always stayed close by me.

Others were less successful at first. Some of the Kindies were shy and cried. Probably an advantage for a good buddy is to have the same gender. That’s what I think anyway!

TAFE students are required to pay their fees on enrolment day. These yearly fees are far less than the uni fees and vary with the level of the course.

Certificate I and II cost $506, Certificate III cost $792, Certificate IV cost $1,078 while Diploma courses cost $1,432 and Advanced Diploma cost $1,720. These courses are subsidised by the Government.

Degree courses are far more expensive – some even more than University fees.

Fees at private colleges are not subsidised by the Government and often cost from $10,000 to $24,000 a year depending on the course. Students doing courses at some institutions may be eligible to apply for FEE-HELP which is a different scheme.

I loved meeting my buddy because whenever I see him he smiles. When Ryan smiles, I smile. My buddy, Ryan, does bring back memories of when I was in Kinder because he handled school the way I handled school- with pride and confidence.

I think Buddies is a fabulous idea and a lot of my peers think so too.

I have a small number of booklets which I can lend to anyone who is interested in this area. http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/ is a website which gives information about ‘Higher Education for Students in Australia’.

BOND UNIVERSITY Experience Day for Year 12 students will take place on Wednesday 17th April on the Gold Coast – during the school holidays. This tour will depart from Sydney

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BUDDIES

By Stella Ktenas

On Monday the 4th of February 2013, Year 6 met their Kindergarten Buddies. The Buddies involves Year 6 and Kindy at St Spyridon College. Each Year 6 is matched with a buddy from the Kindergarten classes. The main purpose of this is so the Kindies get settled into big school easily and learn the school rules.

One day last week, after lunch, we sat on the silver seats and waited for Kindy. When they arrived their teachers called out all the pairs of buddies one by one. My buddy is Lara. She is in KJ. When I first met Lara I gave her a colourful card, some stickers and wacky bands as a gift. She gave me a special picture of her surfing.

I could tell that she enjoyed meeting me because she kept on smiling and couldn’t stop. My buddy reminds me a lot of when I was in Kindy as I had blond hair like Lara does!

LEADERSHIP DAY On Friday, 8th February, the three Senior Leaders (Mathew Kambos, Leonidas Andrew and Maria Mio) represented the Prefect Body by attending a Leadership Day held at SCEGGS Darlinghurst.

The event was organised so that leaders from schools all around NSW can get together to discuss and share our leadership goals and leadership advice. In doing so, the aim of the event was to further educate the leaders from the many schools about what it means to be a good leader.

One of the main themes which ran throughout the entire event was the idea that the way to achieve leadership is through innovation. The notion that we are an agent of change was certainly a vital aspect of this leadership event, this was truly explained to us throughout the event.

Change was introduced to us as an acronym in which C stands for character and the sort of person we are, H for humility and being consistently humble, A for acknowledging the people you are leading, N for noticing the people that are around you, G for generosity and giving to others and finally E for everyone’s effort to be recognised.

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Δεν πιστεύω ότι σε μια εβδομάδα θα γράψω τις τελευταίες εξετάσεις μου και θα τελειώσω το Λύκειο! Σαν να ήταν χθες, που κρατώντας τους γονείς μου από το χέρι, πέρασα για πρώτη φορά, την πόρτα του σχολείου αρχίζοντας την σχολική μου ζωή για τα επόμενα δεκατρία χρόνια. Αναπολώντας αυτά τα χρόνια, μου έρχονται στο μυαλό περισσότερο ευχάριστες αναμνήσεις και υπέροχες εμπειρίες, όπως οι διάφορες θεατρικές παραστάσεις και συναυλίες όπου συμμετείχα, οι κατασκηνώσεις και εκδρομές. Θυμάμαι πόσο υπερήφανη ένοιωθα παρελαύνοντας στους δρόμους της πόλης μας φτάνοντας στην επιβλητική Όπερα του Σύδνεϋ στους εορτασμούς της 25ης Μαρτίου, αντιπροσωπεύοντας το σχολείο μου και τη Μητέρα Ελλάδα.

Another one of the main ideas was that endless conversation about change is more a barrier than anything else. Actually committing to doing something and then acting is what is required to advance and prosper as a leader. The final lesson we were communicated is that leadership is a service and that it is imperative to observe the people that you lead.

Furthermore, we played many leadership games with the many leaders from all around the State.

The three of us walked out of that school that evening with a collection of ideas we were itching to bring up in our next Prefect meeting.

This was a very enjoyable and inspirational meeting for the three of us and is just one of the many leadership opportunities we have the privilege of attending.

Τελειώνοντας τώρα, θα μου λείψει η καθημερινή ρουτίνα του σχολείου, τα χαμόγελα και οι αγκαλιές από τις φίλες μου τα πρωινά, ακόμα και τα αυστηρά πρόσωπα των καθηγητών μου1 Ξεκίνησα το σχολείο όταν ήμουν μόλις τεσσερισήμισι χρονών και το μόνο που ήξερα ήταν να γράφω το όνομά μου. Μέσα από τη σχολική μου ζωή, εκτός από γνώσεις, απεκόμισα ήθος, εντιμότητα και αξιοπρέπεια διαμορφώνοντας έτσι τον χαρακτήρα μου. Για τα μόνα που δεν λυπάμαι και δεν θα μου λείψουν είναι τα υποχρεωτικά σπορ που αναγκαστικά έπρεπε να λαμβάνω μέρος και ποτέ δεν μου άρεσαν καθώς επίσης και ο συναγωνισμός μεταξύ των συμμαθητών μου για το ποιος θα πάρει τους καλύτερους βαθμούς στα διαγωνίσματα. Αυτό με άγχωνε πάρα πολύ! Ξέρεις, αισθάνομαι πολύ μεγάλη αβεβαιότητα για το μέλλον μου έξω από το σχολείο, γιατί ακόμη δεν έχω ξεκάθαρη γνώμη τι επάγγελμα θα ακολουθήσω. Ελπίζω να αποφασίσω σύντομα αν και αυτό εξαρτάται από τους τελικούς μου βαθμούς.

Mathew Kambos College Captain

GREEK

Βλέπω το σχολείο σαν τη φωλίτσα μου όπου νοιώθω ασφάλεια, αλλά νομίζω ότι τώρα είμαι έτοιμη να πετάξω με τα φτερά της γνώσης και της μάθησης που απεκόμισα με τις προσπάθειες των καθηγητών μου και γι’ αυτό τους είμαι ευγνώμων. Όπως λένε, «στους γονείς μας χρωστάμε το ζειν, στους δασκάλους μας το ευ ζειν!»

COLUMN

Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι, Στο τεύχος αυτό δημοσιεύουμε την εργασία μαθητρίας της Γ΄Λυκείου από το περυσινό πρώτο της διαγώνισμα στα προφορικά στη διάρκεια του τελευταίου τριμήου. Όπως καταλαβαίνετε, η παρακάτω εργασία παρουσιάστηκε ως μονόλογος στην τάξη. Καλή ανάγνωση!

Ελπίζω αυτό να επαληθευτεί και να βρω αυτό το ευ ζειν στη μελλοντική μου ζωή. Ξέρω, ακούγεται παράδοξο, αλλά έχω κιόλας απεθυμήσει την ξέγνοιαστη σχολική μου ζωή!

Κ. Μ. Φαλέτα

Katerina Arvanitakis Year 12 (Accelerated student)

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SPORTS

COLUM

The 14 boys continued where they had left off against St Gregory’s College, the boys showed promise and a real improvement in all aspects of the game. Despite loosing, the signs are positive and with a deliberate and specific basketball training programme the boys will benefit and the results will inevitably be forthcoming. Our 15 boys were emphatic winners with dominant displays by Christos Kollias and Adonis Tsoustas.

Our 15 boys’ basketball team managed to bounce back after last week’s disappointment and our boys now look forward to making it two victories in a row as they play St Patricks College in the last game.

Boys Basketball Round 8 Wrap Up Round 8: the boys basketball teams had tough games against good opposition loosing in all grades except the firsts. In the 13’s the Whites and Greens played against Oakhill with the 13 Whites loosing in extra time 38-34, and the 13 Greens loosing 35–21. Our 13 Reds also lost narrowly by 2 points to St Gregory’s College in a very close game. Despite loosing, the 14’s had their best game of the season, with some excellent shooting and much improved zone defence. While in season 2012-2013 are still winless, their positive attitude and resilience is a quality many teams would love to possess.

The Open boys were clinical - the team transformation is almost complete with this week’s victory against first placed BMG. In three games the boys’ team dynamics seem to be improving their awareness and team cohesion as well as discipline is commendable. Despite BMG isolating and applying pressure in defence on Luka Kasalovic, the boys rallied and found inner belief and strength in the team effort.

Performances by Nicholas Baratsas, Sotiri Kastanas and Panayioti Kapodistrias helped to shape what was ultimately a very courageous win.

The boys reward will be a semi final birth most probably against St Gregory’s College in what will be a very close affair - one for all St Spyridon College to witness.

In a very close game our Opens won by two points 43-41 reversing the lopsided result late last year. The boys proved to be resilient and their focus and attention to detail gave them the upper hand. Despite the lead changing regularly and the presence of the very loud crowd of St Gregory’s boys cheering and chanting for their school, our Open boys were disciplined and were excellent ambassadors of our College. Starring for the team was Luka Kasalovic of Year 11 with valuable contributions from Alex Coplin and Leonidas Andrew of Year 12.

Round 9 Boys Basketball Wrap Up

The home game programme would not have been a success without the help and support of all the coaching staff and the Year 12 students who managed the canteen, in particular our Sports Captains James Andrew and Stephanie Pizanis as well as Leonidas Andrew, Louis Alexandrou, Nicholas Fotopoulos and Alexandros Moraitis. A huge thank you to all students who assisted on the bench and in particular Luka Kasalovic of Year 11 who assisted at the bench all day despite his game being at 1.00p.m. in the afternoon.

All St Spyridon College Boys ISA Basketball teams played their first home game of the year in round 9 of the competition. The day was attended by parents of all schools involved as well the Principal of our School Mrs Katsogiannis. Our teams had a mixed day with the 13 White team, 15’s and Opens winning and 13 Green and Red as well as the 14’s loosing in very close games.

Our 13 Red team while starting positive, found it difficult containing the good shooting from BMG. The boys now need to bounce back in their last game against St Patricks to have a chance of making the semi finals. In the 13 Greens, Tristan Hollink had a very strong game with accurate shooting and a real determination to win the ball; unfortunately the boys lost in a nail biting encounter to a determined SACS team who have also had their fair share of close encounter losses.

On a personal note, thank you to Mr Condous for his support on the BBQ and in taking team photos on the day.

To all parents thank you for supporting all the teams and the canteen. This week the boys will be playing both at All Sorts Indoor Centre and the Sports and Performing Arts Centre where our Open girls will also be competing. Game times will be given to students during training and emailed to parents. Good luck to all our boys teams.

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Finals in the ISA competition is an exceptional achievement.

GIRLS ISA BASKETBALL It was most pleasing to watch last weekend’s games and what was clearly evident was the abundance of school pride. Many instances depicted the students’ willingness, not only to support the school but also to be proud of their school. Keira Kipriotis, Tina Ventoura and Anastasia Vorgias played up to help the Junior A’s then played in their own matches after. Their support was vital as this was a must win game.

SSC SWIMMING CARNIVAL The School Swimming Carnival will be held on the 28th February at Des Renford Aquatic Centre, corner of Robey Street and Jersey Road, Maroubra. Students are to wear the St Spyridon College swimsuit, Sports Uniform and House TShirt. All students are expected to participate in at least one event. Students selected in the squad will be required to train unless they are already in a squad and will be required to wear identifiable St Spyridon swimwear including cap to race at the ISA Carnival.

The Intermediate B’s had a 1st vs 2nd match against St Andrews Cathedral and the sheer volume of their chant before play resumed demonstrated the passion not only to win but to be a student at St Spyridon College. These instances are the reason we can continue to be successful against the many larger schools.

There will be a canteen at the venue although it is advised that all students pack their own morning tea and lunch to avoid the long queues. Students are asked to assemble at Heffron Park poolside at 8.30am. The carnival will start at 9:00am and conclude at 2:30pm. The private school bus will be dropping off students at the venue and picking them up.

Final ISA Basketball Round games to be played this weekend, with some matches very important to prepare for the Semi Finals which will be held at Penrith Stadium 2nd March, 2013. This season we have three teams from six qualifying.

Junior A’s ( Division 1) – consisting of Year 9 students and coached by Mr Meintanis who are currently in 4th place which is a difficult position as they will need to play 1st place Central Coast Grammar in the Semi Finals. However, these girls are determined players and won’t give up easy.

Intermediate B’s (Division 2) - consisting of Year 10 students and coached by Ms Kalithrakas.

These girls are a young team developing the fundamentals skills of basketball very well.

Despite no players having a Basketball background before their participation in the ISA competition, they have shown tremendous ability to transfer their existing skills and develop into great athletes. They will play St Pauls Grammar in the final round and more than likely in the Semi Finals as they are currently equal 2nd.

Junior C’s (Division 3) - consisting of Year 8 students and coached by Mrs Kefalouros, this large squad has slipped into 3rd place, however, this will not change their Semi Finals position.

Students will receive an information note detailing information about the day. If students are absent on the day they are distributed, they must see either Mr Kaldis or Ms O’ Shea to receive one.

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Good luck to all teams and coaches in the final round and also for those teams who have qualified for Semi Finals. May I encourage parents to support the girls at the venue, making the Semi

Ms K. O’Shea (Girls Sport) and Mr F. Kaldis (Boys Sport)

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Welcome! If your goal in 2013 is to join a friendly and enjoyable football environment then why not join OLYMPIC EAGLES FC. Olympic Eagles FC provides teams from the Under 6’s all the way through to Seniors (Men’s and women’s).

Registration Dates (For new players): Wed 27th, Thurs 28th February from 3-4pm and Sat 2nd March from 3.30-5pm at St Spyridon Church Hall – 72 Gardeners Rd, Kingsford 2032.

All new players are required to provide a form of ID (juniors – birth certificate, seniors – drivers licence) in order for registration to be complete.

Cost: Under 6-7 - $230

Under 8-18 - $240

Seniors (Men and Women) - $395 Senior Student Concession - $375 All junior players will receive a $10 Delphi Bank account.

NB: $10 discount for 2nd child and 3rd child free ages 6-16.

For more information please contact: Tom Karagiannis – 0448 284 553 Maria Tsangaris – 0418 441 719 Anyone interested in playing AA Men’s contact: Stathi – 0405 132 016

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