VOLUME XXX No 7 24th May, 2013
DATES TO REMEMBER
FROM THE COLLEGE
MAY Half Yearly Examinations Year 11 begin
27th
K-6 Photos
28th
Open Morning and Tour JS
29th
ASISSA XCountry JS
30th
Careers Expo
31st
HEAD
OF
Battle of Crete Commemorations Martin Place, Sydney 18th May, 2013
JUNE Half Yearly Exam Week JS
3rd
Vaccinations SS
5th
Divine Liturgy
6th
Queens’ Birthday Public Holiday School closed
10th
Year 11 Drama Performance Evening
19th
Term ends for staff and students Reports to Parents JS
21st
Half Yearly reports posted SS
24th
JULY Staff and students return VET Work Placement
15th
P & T Interviews K – 4 & 6
16th
Parent Teacher Conferences Years 7-9
17th
P & T Interviews K – 4 & 5
18th
Parent Teacher Conferences Years 10 & 11
22nd
Athletics Carnival SS
25th
Athletics Carnival JS
26th
HSC TRIALS begin
29th
Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag
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PARENTS and FRIENDS REPORT FOCUSING ON FAMILY AND MOTHERS THIS MONTH The last fortnight has been very exciting for our Parents and Friends calendar. Two events and stalls meant our team was very busy organising, coordinating and just being present. Each event had a family focus - new families joining our school or celebrations of the mothers in our community. This was nicely timed after the reflections of Easter and before the challenges of exams and a cold winter. The Kindy Orientation Morning as you may all remember is when new parents and familiar faces come along to hear about our wonderful school and the journey their children will undertake as they start Kindergarten in 2014. It is always a nice event on the school calendar allowing parents to connect in a very personal way to the staff and other parents and to see the classes and school facilities first hand. We provided morning tea and had a few P&F members on hand to impart a reassuring parental perspective. The Mother’s Day stalls have been a wonderful success thanks to Erenie Bourdaniotis and her team of P&F volunteers. We raised $4500 in profit for the school. Thank you to all our students, staff, parents and friends of the college who bought a special gift for a loved one from our stalls. We hope it was well received by the recipient on or before Mother’s Day. Our Mother’s Night Out was an amazing night with great feedback from attendees. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we exceeded all expectations with wonderful relaxation and hand treatments, A-M-AZING raffle and novelty prizes, beautiful food and surroundings at the Graphic Arts Club. Overall the evening had a calm and fun atmosphere. A special thank you goes to Mrs Stefanou for her very kind words of encouragement to our team. Thank you to all of the 95 mothers who attended this event and contributed towards our fundraising effort. We raised $3200 in profit. This could not have been possible without the wonderful individuals and businesses that donated their services or prizes for the event. This month we have taken our tally for fundraising for the year to $15,225. We look forward to the next lot of events and are already preparing for Spring Fair.
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K
–
12
NEWS
JUNIOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 2013 Mrs Aristea Synesios has been appointed as the Acting Principal Junior School for 2013, a position she has held in the past with skill and integrity.
UNIFORM SHOP TIMES: 8.30 am to 10.00 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm – Wednesday only school term.
For this period, Mr Alan Dookie, has been appointed as Acting Deputy Principal, bringing a wealth of management experience to the position both in Australia and overseas. We have every confidence in their skills and wish them both every success.
JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag After 30 years of distinguished service at St Spyridon College, Mrs Mary (Rayias) Hamer, has informed us of her resignation from the position of Principal Junior School.
MOTHERS’ DAY ASSEMBLY Last week we were treated by Kindergarten and Year One to an enjoyable Mother’s Day assembly al fresco. The outdoor setting provided for a more intimate experience. The positive feedback received makes our jobs more rewarding but also proves κάθε εμπόδιο για καλό. Thank you to the mothers and grandmothers who joined us.
We are delighted, however, this will not be the end of her work within our College, where she is loved and respected by all – parents, teachers and the students that she adores, and has seen grow from Kindergarten to successful adulthood and parenthood. She has been offered and embraced the opportunity to work with us at the College, on special projects through which we will have the benefit of her skills and experience. We wish her improved health and a speedy return to us in the near future.
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on tour where the parents could interact with the staff and students as well as have a closer look at the work produced by the students. The parents who attended were impressed by the attention to detail; uniform, classroom displays and especially with the quality of the bookwork. The most significant feedback received from many of the parents was that the children were happy, engaged and smiling. For those who have forgotten to enrol younger siblings for next year please see the office.
MOTHERS DAY DINNER A huge congratulations is extended to Ms Stamoulis and the P & F Committee for a wonderful Mother’s Day Dinner. Not only did we dine in good company but we were pampered as well! This remarkable and tireless group of women never cease to amaze us, coming up with new and interesting ideas each year. To those mums who were unable to join us this year, make sure you note down next year’s date in your diaries as this is an event not to be missed.
An Open Morning and Tour will be held on Wednesday 29th May for prospective parents K – 6. Please let your friends and family know. Flyers available at the Junior School office. Details on the website.
WINTER UNIFORM All students K – 6 need to wear their blazer to school every day. They are also to have their jumper and raincoat in their bags for use throughout the day. The Winter Sports Uniform is the tracksuit with the polo top. If it is an especially cold day, the children are permitted to wear a plain white T-shirt or skivvy underneath. No shorts are permitted for sport.
Mrs A. Synesios Acting Principal
FRIDAY JUNIOR COMPETITION
Our Junior Chess Competition is underway once again on Friday afternoons, with the children involved having mixed successes. The children are extremely keen to play, and as time goes on they will become better players. It is wonderful that they have the opportunity to play against other schools, and everyone looks forward to this.
MORNING ASSEMBLY We respectfully ask that you drop off your children in the morning and leave when the bell rings. This allows us to move to class quickly, minimizing disruption to learning time. On Wednesdays, you are welcome to stay for assembly and share the joy with the children who receive certificates.
The teams are: Rookies: James Cardamis, Nixon Kounnas, Marcel Darwish, Vasili Giaras Intermediate: Jordan Frazis, Gianni Keramitzis, Christo Keramitzis.
CO CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Please note: Co curricular Activities will be on for the remaining of Term 2 only on the dates itemised below. Monday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday
CHESS
As you can see we are a player short in the Intermediate team, so if there is anyone who would like to play please see Mrs Bartlett. Thank you to the parents who have become involved. Without your support the teams would not be able to function.
27th May 29th May 12th June 13th June
Mrs C. Bartlett
If date is not listed above, the activities will not be on that date due to other events. Please make sure you make note of these dates and be punctual when picking up your child/children from the activities.
SOCIAL SKILLS K-2 Children in Infants participate in the Australian Stop Think Do social skills training program developed by Lindy Peterson, Child and Family psychologist. The aim of the program is that children can use the Stop Think Do problem solving method for resolving conflicts.
KINDERGARTEN 2014 An orientation morning and tour was held on the 8th of May for all prospective Kindergarten parents for 2014. After a brief meeting, we went
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STOP look and listen first In the STOP lessons, students develop self-control, perceptual and communication skills, which help them to control their emotions and use their eyes and ears to clarify problems and feelings.
early, and it is incumbent on parents to set routines at home associated with learning. A good study routine can be established well before children commence school by setting aside a time for reading to your child on a regular basis, and organising for them to be involved in regular physical activities.
THINK about options and consequences The THINK lessons are designed to develop cognitive problem solving skills, and teaches students how to use their brains to find answers to their problems, and to evaluate likely consequences.
Homework allows practising and consolidating work done in class, as studies suggest that without revision, students may forget up to 80% of the material learned in class within 24 hours. It can also serve to close the gap for struggling students or challenge others. Parents can assist by assisting students to get into the habit of establishing a routine and setting aside appropriate time to complete tasks, and establishing an environment conducive to learning.
Choose the best option to DO The DO lessons develop students’ decision-making and behavioural skills and how to get their body into shape to send the right signals to others.
Every child is different and every family functions differently so it is up to you to set realistic goals for your family’s needs and to support your child’s education at home.
Through practicing to stop, think and do over and over again in their social interactions, children develop self-discipline, self-control, self-esteem, self-confidence, maturity, respect, empathy, independence and responsibility. The motivation for using these skills in their real life is developed through the program lessons, and from positive feedback from others.
Done correctly homework can establish selfdiscipline, and time management skills which students will eventually require late in life, but remember it is meant to showcase students work not parents, so if the homework is proving challenging consult the class teacher for advice. Reference: www.dailytelegraph.com.au/...studyhabits/story
Your child’s teacher develops problem solving skills using lessons from this program during health and other related lessons over the course of the year.
Mrs M. Kipriotis Infants’ Coordinator
YEAR 2’S CHICKEN HATCHING PROGRAM
Reference: www.stopthinkdo.com Why Study?
As a part of our Science program, Year 2 had been learning about ‘Life Cycles’. The chicken hatching program was an eggciting and educational experience that provided students with the gift of watching chicks hatching from eggs.
Every child will take part in study at some time in their schooling and it is up to parents to foster good study habits at home. The trick lies somewhere between finding balance between studies, family life, exercise, and having time for social events. The most important consideration is remembering that there is more to life than getting the top mark. It is better to work towards achieving your personal best which is a factor you can control rather than focussing on competing with others.
Each classroom received an incubator with eggs. From the first day, children were able to hear “peeping” noises from inside the shell. As the days went on, chicks began to hatch from the shell. As the chicks hatched, they were moved into a viewing box that gave students the opportunity to watch the chicks developing further. The chicks stayed on another week so that
Psychologist and former high school teacher Tim Dansie reminds us that good study habits begin
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students were able to observe them and handle them. At the end of the program, students were given the opportunity to purchase chicks and give them a home in their own backyard, and to watch the cycle begin again. Overall, the program was successful in teaching the students the different stages of growth in living things. Below is an information report 2A have written about ‘Chickens’. Clucking Chickens Chickens are domestic or farm birds that live for about 10 to 15 years. Chickens have feathers, a comb on their head and two wattles under their neck. They are small animals that have a beak which they use for pecking and gathering food. They are found on farms and people also have them as pets in their backyard. Chickens eat seeds, worms and salad. They peck, scratch and run around. Roosters wake you up in the morning and hens lay eggs. Hens can lay up to 300 eggs in a year. Chickens are interesting animals. They make good pets because they give you lots of fresh eggs.
2A - Miss Sotiras Year 2 Class Teacher
SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT Χριστός Ανέστη ASSESSMENT PERIOD Year 11 students will be sitting examinations beginning Monday, 27th May, 2013 for one week. Timetables have been distributed to students. The examination rules are printed on the reverse side of the timetable. Students need to be aware of these requirements. Students in Years 7 – 10 have assessments at various times but mainly in weeks 5 – 7. Semester 1 reports will be issued at the end of Term 2.
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to raise funds for the Cancer Council by supporting the SRC’s “Biggest Morning Tea”…. with a cake stall and a “Teachers Tasty Treats Competition”.
NATIONAL SCHOOLS EVENT On Wednesday, 8th May, 2013 to Friday, 10th May, 2013, Oakleigh Grammar, Melbourne hosted the Annual National Schools Event.
VOLUNTEERS CERTIFICATE
Congratulations to all of the 42 students who attended along with Mr Meintanis, Mr Kaldis, Ms O’Shea, Ms Gonzalez, Ms Gambriell, Mr Zafiropoulos, Mr Georgoulopoulos and ex student Angelina Flokis.
“When kids volunteer it tells others that they don’t have to be perfect or famous or even grown up to make a difference” Anonymous As mentioned in the previous newsletter, recently a representative from the Greek Welfare Centre visited Pastoral groups and provided them with background information on this organisation and the service it provides to the community, as well as introduced students to the idea of volunteerism, and the Volunteers Training Certificate program that is available. Following this presentation almost 50 students from Years 9 and 10 indicated an interest in undertaking the 9 hour training course. In Term 3 and 4 arrangements will be made for this training to be held at school. Students will subsequently have the knowledge needed to become active volunteers in the near or distant future.
We are pleased to report that St Spyridon College came first in Netball, Girls Basketball and Girls Volleyball. A full report may be found in the Sports section of this Newsletter. We thank Oakleigh Grammar for hosting this event with professionalism, warmth and hospitality. St Spyridon College will be hosting the 2014 Event. Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School
MIDDLE REPORT
NAPLAN
SCHOOL
Over three days last week Year 7 and 9 students sat the NAPLAN tests. I am happy to report that we had full attendance in both year groups on those days. Parents can expect to receive results later in the year.
“Each time a person stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, a tiny ripple of hope is sent, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance” Robert Kennedy
SOUP KITCHEN DUTY Year 9 were due to begin their Community Service duty on Monday this week by assisting at the Soup Kitchen in Newtown, however due to it being St Constantine and Helen’s Day, the Church hall from which the soup kitchen is normally run, was instead being set up for the celebratory dinner. Father Nectarios and representatives of the Ladies Auxiliary who were there making the necessary preparations warmly welcomed us and were very grateful for the donations of food we brought and our willingness to assist with the setting up of the special dinner. Students Alexander P Cardamis, Tori Stamatopoulos and Anastasia Gousetis, worked enthusiastically and enjoyed the freshly made Loukmades offered. Soup Kitchen duty will resume next week and will continue on every week thereafter. All students can find the duty Roster outside my office.
This term St Spyridon students will be continuing the ripple effect by building on their strengths, working to their potential in the classroom, playing their best on sporting field, and taking the time to consider the needs of others while also exploring different ways of giving back to their community. Beginning this week, Year 7 students will engage in an Academic skills “Kick Start” Program, followed by a unit on anti-bullying, Year 8’s will explore aspects of Cybersafety, Year 9’s will be assisting at the Soup Kitchen and focus their learning in Pastoral Care on a variety of issues that affect our community through a structured research skills development program. Our Student representative Council will also be busy helping
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Parliament House. They were invited there by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AO, Governor of NSW, and the Presiding Officers of Parliament. The program of the day offered school leaders the opportunity to develop their knowledge of Constitutional Parliamentary proceeding and the role of the Governor. Prior to meeting the Governor, students viewed proceedings in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council at NSW Parliament House, in Macquarie St, Sydney.
The Importance of SLEEP… Health professionals are often reminding us of the importance of a good night’s sleep for general health, well- being and memory process. Various university studies conducted during the 1980’s concluded that teenagers needed up to 10 hours of sleep every night. On the other hand some recent researchers argue that letting adolescents sleep for this length of time is not necessarily the best thing for them, just like letting young people eat what they want is generally not the best thing for them. Bottom line is that there is no absolute answer. There is however agreement on the fact that adolescents need more sleep than adults and that the average for most is at least 8 hours. By listening to their bodies students can actually determine if they are getting enough sleep. This can be done by using the following guides. If sleep comes instantly, it is a sign they are not getting enough sleep for their body. If it takes them at least 15 minutes to fall asleep then they are probably getting enough, but if they wake up feeling exhausted then an examination of lifestyle factors is needed.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP…. THE SRC As a result of various interruptions to the SRC meeting schedule, representatives will be now be meeting every Tuesday lunch until the end of this term to make up for lost meeting times. This term the group will be putting plans into action, beginning with a fundraising and student empowerment focus. From Week 4 SRC’s from Years 7-12 will take turns at the weekly Friday Assembly to report back on meeting discussions, promote planned events, and they will be introducing some novel initiatives aimed at raising the SRC’s profile within the school.
Also, sometimes people think ‘catch up sleeps’ on the weekend help the body and mind. This also is not necessarily true. According to a university sleep specialists’ study, ‘catch up sleeps’ mess up the body’s internal clock, and are an indicator that students and people in general need to go to bed earlier. The trick is to work out the best bedtime so that the need to catch up on weekends is eliminated. Power naps in the afternoon after school are okay, so long as they are no longer than 40 minutes. These short naps can help recharge energy levels and allow for greater focus if home study needs to be done.
Secondary Schools Leadership Day Yesterday our three Senior Prefect Leaders Mathew Kambos (College Captain), Leo Andrew (Vice- Captain), and Maria Mio (Senior Prefect) joined with other Captains from within the Independent School Sector to attend the annual Secondary School Leadership Day at NSW
Ms G Kokinelis Dean of Middle School 8
GREEK
Αν και θεωρητικά, οι γυναίκες, οι άνθρωποι που δεν είναι λευκοί και οι άνθρωποι με κάποια αναπηρία έχουν τις ίδιες επαγγελματικές ευκαιρίες, τον ίδιο μισθό και τον ίδιο σεβασμό που θα είχε ένας υγιής, λευκός άντρας, είναι φανερό πως στην πράξη δεν συμβαίνει αυτό. Αν κάποιος διαφέρει από την περιγραφή του «ιδανικού» ανθρώπου , θεωρείται κατώτερος, η γνώμη του δεν έχει την ίδια αξία, είναι πάντα η «δεύτερη επιλογή». Όχι μόνο δεν υπάρχει αποδοχή, αλλά και η ανοχή που δείχνει η κοινωνία σ’ αυτούς τους ανθρώπους είναι πολύ περιορισμένη. Πολλές φορές έχω ακούσει πολλούς να λένε πως «δεν θα προσλάμβαναν ποτέ μαύρους αν είχαν την επιλογή να προσλάβουν λευκούς» στην επιχείρησή τους, και πως θα ήταν καλύτερο για την οικονομία αν κάναμε «ευθανασία στους ανάπηρους και άνεργους» γιατί δεν προσφέρουν τίποτα στην κοινωνία.
COLUMN
Αγαπητοί αναγνώστες, Στην έκδοση αυτή θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με την εργασία μαθήτριας της Γ Λυκείου σχετικά με την ανοχή ή ανεκτικότητα που δείχνουμε στις ιδιαιτερότητες των άλλων γύρω μας. Η εργασία αυτή παρουσιάστηκε ως ομιλία στα πλαίσια προφορικού διαγωνισμού. Καλή ανάγνωση. κ. Μ. Φαλέτα Ανοχή στις ιδιαιτερότητες των άλλων Αν και συμφωνώ απόλυτα πως η ανοχή προς τις ιδιαιτερότητες των ανθρώπων είναι αναγκαία στην πολυπολιτισμική κοινωνία του σήμερα, θεωρώ πως θα ήταν ακόμη καλύτερα αν κάναμε ένα βήμα παραπέρα και αντί για ανοχή, υπήρχε αποδοχή των ιδιαιτεροτήτων μας.
Η λέξη «ανοχή» υπονοεί κάτι αρνητικό. Όταν κάποιος ανέχεται κάτι είναι φανερό ότι δεν του αρέσει, αλλά δεν κάνει κάτι για να το σταματήσει. Επομένως, όταν λέμε ότι ανεχόμαστε κάποιους ανθρώπους δεν δείχνουμε κάτι θετικό.
Πολλοί πιστεύουν ότι το διαφορετικό είναι κακό, ότι οι διαφορές μεταξύ χρώματος, γλωσσών, θρησκειών και πολιτισμών είναι προβληματικές και ότι θα ήταν καλύτερα αν ήμασταν όλοι ίδιοι, ίδια εθνικότητα, ίδια γλώσσα, ίδια έθιμα, ίδια κουλτούρα.
Λοιπόν, το ότι ακόμα και στην παγκοσμιοποιημένη κοινωνία μας, η ανοχή στις ιδιαιτερότητες είναι ελάχιστη ενώ είναι απαραίτητη η πλήρης αποδοχή, είναι κάτι το θλιβερό. Οι άνθρωποι λένε συχνά ότι «ο καθένας πρέπει να φέρεται στους άλλους όπως θα ήθελε οι άλλοι να φέρονται σ’ αυτόν». Γιατί, λοιπόν, δεν ακολουθούν την ίδια τους την συμβουλή; Τι τους κάνει να πιστεύουν πως είναι καλύτεροι απ’ τους συνανθρώπους τους; Αν και υπάρχουν πολλές διαφορές μεταξύ των ανθρώπων , δεν πρέπει να ξεχνάμε πως υπάρχουν και πολλές ομοιότητες. Όλοι γεννιούμαστε και πεθαίνουμε, όλοι έχουμε ελπίδες και όνειρα, όλοι έχουμε τις ίδιες βασικές ανάγκες και τα ίδια συναισθήματα, όλοι είμαστε άνθρωποι.
Κατά τη γνώμη μου, αυτοί οι άνθρωποι θέλουν να απολαμβάνουν τα οφέλη ενός πολυεθνικού κόσμου γεμάτου με πολιτισμικές διαφορές, αλλά χωρίς να σέβονται τις διαφορές που δεν τους αρέσουν. Ας σκεφτούμε: εφόσον ακούμε ξένη μουσική, απολαμβάνουμε φαγητά απ’ όλο τον κόσμο, διασκεδάζουμε βλέποντας ξένες ταινίες και φοράμε ρούχα που έγιναν στο εξωτερικό, το λιγότερο που θα μπορούσαμε να κάνουμε δεν θα ήταν να αποδεχτούμε και να σεβαστούμε τις κουλτούρες από τις οποίες προέρχονται όλ’ αυτά; Αν και το θέμα της ανοχής του διαφορετικού είναι κυρίως θέμα θρησκείας και πολιτισμών, είναι σημαντικό να αναφέρουμε και την ανησυχητική, μη αποδοχή των ανθρώπων με διαφορετικό χρώμα δέρματος, διαφορετικό βάρος, εκπαίδευση, φύλο ή και ικανότητες. Στη σημερινή κοινωνία υπάρχει δυστυχώς η εξιδανίκευση των λευκών, ικανών και αδύνατων ανδρών, και σ’ έναν κόσμο που ουσιαστικά «κυριαρχούν» αυτά τα κριτήρια, είναι δύσκολο για κάποιον που διαφέρει απ΄αυτή την περιγραφή, να έχει ίδια τα δικαιώματα και την ίδια αποδοχή από την κοινωνία.
Αφού λοιπόν ερχόμαστε και φεύγουμε απ’ αυτόν τον κόσμο σαν ίσοι, είναι σημαντικό να ανεχόμαστε, μάλλον πιο σωστά να αποδεχόμαστε τις ιδιαιτερότητές μας, αφού κανείς δεν είναι ανώτερος απ’ τον άλλον. Tiffany Kapsabelis Year 11 (Mod. Greek Year 12)
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CAREERS
COLUMN
Engineering Cadets will combine work within the Naval Marine business of Rolls-Royce Australia with university study in Sydney in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or naval architecture. Alternatively, cadets may choose a flexible entry engineering degree. Technology Cadets will combine work at the Westpac Group in Sydney city with university study in computer science, information technology or information systems. Alternatively, cadets may undertake a commerce or arts degree and select information systems as one of their majors. Technology Cadets will be well-placed to pursue a career in ICT and/or business. Applications for the ETCAD Program close on 21 June.
Listed below are a number of information evenings coming up in the near future which should be of interest to YEAR 12 students and their parents. Of course, those in Years 10 and 11 are also welcome to attend: UNSW Science Parent and Student Information Night - UNSW Science will host an information night for Students and their Parents on Thursday May 30, 6.30pm – 8.30pm in Leighton Hall, John Niland Scientia Building UNSW Kensington Campus. For more information and to register visit http://www.science.unsw.edu.au/events/scienceparent-and-student-information-evening
UNIVERSITIES: A number of Undergraduate guides for 2014 from several Universities have arrived. Also, I have information about early admission to the University of Wollongong. UAC guides for 2014 are due to arrive in July and these will be distributed to all Year 12 students.
Antipodeans Abroad GapBreak Information Night. An informal evening to find out about volunteering and taking a gap year, meet staff and returned volunteers, and ask questions to get to know Antipodeans better. Placements are available throughout Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Europe. Sydney: Tuesday 28th May 6:30-7:30PM, , 303A, 282 Victoria Ave, Chatswood. Register online at www.antipodeans.com.au/info-nights.htm or call 02 9413 1522.
YEAR 10 SUBJECT SELECTION AND INFORMATION EVENINGS: A reminder that these are being held at UNSW on May 29. Go to the Network Schools site to register, www.networkschools.unsw.edu.au CAREERS WEBSITE: Don’t forget to explore the Careers section on the College website for more information: www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au Go to “Careers and Elevate” in the top banner of the site. There are about 350 external links and great information at your fingertips.
OTHER NEWS: UMAT EXAMINATIONS: for those interested in applying for medicine, optometry, dental science, will be held on Wednesday, 31st July, 2013. Register by 5 pm Friday 7th June, 2013. Contact UMAT office at ACER for information : umat@acer.edu.au, or phone 03 85087643 or register online at http://umat.acer.edu.au
Finally, I am available to help with any careersrelated queries and look forward to meeting you all soon. Ms G. Hakos Careers Adviser
CAREERS EXPO: All Year 12 students will be attending the SMH Careers Expo at Moore Park on Friday 31st May, accompanied by Mr Kaldis and myself. This is an invaluable opportunity to obtain information about tertiary education and careers from a variety of providers. I will be discussing this with Year 12 in the coming weeks and permission notes will be distributed. These will need to be returned promptly to the front office.
LISTENING STUDENTS
TO
OUR
WRITTEN RESPONSE TO SALVADOR DALI’S PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY By Chris Vlachos 6M Just like cheese, The clocks melt with ease. In the desert sun, Get cover; hide & run.
Engineering & Technology Cadetships Applications are now open for the 2013 Engineering & Technology Cadetships (ETCAD) Program run by Professional Cadetships Australia (PCA). Students apply online at www.etcad.com.au. Under this Program,
Horse or human, We will never know
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Then he moved over to the table with all the plasmas. One of the instruments was called the Tesla Coil. It was invented by Nikola Tesla. Sammy used a metal stick and created Plasma: transfer of energy). Then he also touched modern -day plasma (which was the tesla coil with a plastic ball around it) and purple plasma was created by his hand at the centre.
But though, it is laying ‘dead’ low. Its soul at its death place, It re-looks at the melting clocks; with haste. Phobic of ants, Possibly, even maybe, crawling up Dali’s pants… O,oh Pocket watch or alarm clock? But anyway, notice how the painting is a block!
Now, Sammy put the 6M balloon into a bucket and added liquid nitrogen. After some time, he took it out and asked Theoni to blow on it. The balloon began inflating because the liquid nitrogen was cooling down (from Theoni’s breath). Afterwards the balloon was seen expanding again.
And remember how I told you to run & hide? Well it’s alright now; Dali’s beat you to it; you were too busy reading this, While the desert’s dry.
STAGE 3 CSIRO INCURSION: Solids, Liquids & Gases Workshop
Manny volunteered for the last experiment. Sammy held a bendable, plastic tube filled with flour while Manny held and pointed a blow torch (turned on). Exciting to watch; Sammy blew the flour out of the tube into the actual flame and a bright burst of flame erupted that reached the ceiling of the hall!
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On Monday the 20 of May, Stage 3 were involved in a CSIRO workshop. The instructor’s name was Sammy. Together, we experienced lots of cool experiments. First Sammy visually showed us how the atoms in a solid, liquid and gas move around. Then he put an ice cube on a metal tile (metal conducts energy). We all observed that the ice cube turned into a liquid very quickly. Then he showed us the same thing but on a Styrofoam tile. On this tile the ice cube remained a solid. Also he showed us a dry ice (an ice that turns from a solid into a gas) on a metal tile. The ice did not turn into a liquid instead it turned into a gas. Soon after, Sammy put four pieces of dry ice into two balloons. He gave one balloon to 6M and the other to 6P. Each student had 1 second to create energy for the balloon to expand. Everyone used the ‘shake it’ method. 6M won; making more energy visually because their balloon became more inflated.
Year 5 and 6 would like to thank Sammy for coming to our school to show us these cool experiments and, of course, Mr Arnott for organising this fun incursion. Theoni Apostolopoulos and Connor Giavis 6M
YEAR 6 CULTURAL EXCURSION – Part 1 On the 5th April, Year 6 went on a Cultural Excursion to two venues; The Big Dig Archaeological Centre at The Rocks and the Australian Museum. The Big Dig Centre is an excavation site. We arrived and went upstairs to meet our guides. Our class guide was Rachael. In the information room we learnt about archaeologists: what they do. We were frequently asked questions about The Rocks area and artefacts. As we had learnt about them at school, most of us could answer all questions.
Then Sammy filled a bottle with liquid nitrogen and put a balloon on top. The balloon was fast expanding and, after a few minutes, the balloon popped. It made a really loud noise! Sammy filled another bottle with liquid nitrogen and this time screwed a cap on it which had two strong, plastic straws attached to it. He submerged the bottle in a cup of water which made the straws spin rapidly; spraying out liquid nitrogen.
Next we were introduced to a mock archaeological dig. In a large sandpit we were sectioned into 4 groups. The group dig was super exciting! Our group found 9 artefacts in a short time. One group leader marked down the find site while another noted the type of object found.
After, Sammy filled a film container with dry ice and soon the the lid popped off and the film container went flying in the air, landing next to Connor’s seat.
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its own shadow and, by making the horse face the sun, he could be tamed easily.
Travelling outside together we learnt more about the lives of people in the past in The Rocks: Marry and George Talbot. Both had lives full of conflict and hardship. It was very interesting! We also learnt about the local butcher who accidently poisoned his own water well with animal blood and remains- Gross!
My mum thought this was an amazing experience for me and wants to go to the exhibition next time with me!
To finish, we returned to the classroom and analysed real artefacts from the true archaeological site just outside the classroom windows. The first part of our excursion was complete. We were having so much fun learning about Pieces of the Past !
Christopher Matsoukas and Bill Malomitis 6M
YEAR 6 CULTURAL EXCURSIONPart 2 After The Big Dig we went to Cook and Phillip Park for lunch. When we had finished, we walked together over the road to the Australian Museum to view the Alexander the Great Exhibition. Georgia Bull 6P
Firstly we sat in a theatre to view a presentation about Alexander, the conquering journey he took through many countries and what actually made him so ‘Great.’ He was indeed a successful man.
SPORTS
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SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT GIRLS SPORT
Then we got into our groups and went into the exhibition. We read information; saw Alexander’s armour, coins imprinted with Alexander’s face and many artworks including sculptures. The exhibition was full of the Great Man’s artefacts. We filled in a focus booklet. One interesting question we answered was: Alexander had to tame a dangerous and rather fearsome horse that others had failed to tame. What tactic did Alexander use to tame the beast? After much searching I found out that Alexander realised the horse was afraid of
ISA REP NEWS Congratulations to the following girls who were selected to compete for ISA at the NSWCIS Football Championships to be held on 28th May.
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The Intermediate girls remain undefeated going into round 4 and are to be commended for the application and approach to all training sessions and games.
NATIONAL GREEK ORTHODOX COLLEGES SCHOOLS EVENT
Nicole Adam
Natalie Michos
Greek Orthodox National Schools Event is most certainly a highlight for most sporting teams at St Spyridon College. Given the success that was achieved by the girls in Melbourne this year it is easy to understand why.
Chrystal Christie
Day 1 a very tired, hungry Basketball Squad had 5 games of Basketball to play. With our most difficult match first against St Euphemia the girls secured a win in a very physical match. From here they remained undefeated champions. Nansia Koukounaris, Rena Lambos and Nicola Demetri were all stand outs. Georgia Koukounaris, Lia Albanakis and Aphroditi Zafiropoulos demonstrated that they are ready to step up when this amazing team leaves school. Most Valuable player was Yianna Criticos - without her aggression and determination to challenge for the ball such success would not have been possible. We also had Theoni Thimakis, Anja Djukic, Chrystal Christie and Nicole Adam compete in the Table Tennis competition and despite not much preparation the girls achieved an overall 4th place our best achievement thus far in Table Tennis.
Anja Djukic
Congratulations to Cassandra Georgiou who was selected in the OPENS ISA Netball team.
Day 2 saw many of the same girls compete in 6 games of Netball. Our participation in the ISA competition places us at a tremendous advantage in terms of skill level in comparison to other schools. However, Greek Orthodox Colleges National Schools Event is a unique competition where mentality overrides skill. Many schools most certainly tried to outplay us through aggression and mind games, however through the exceptional leadership displayed by Captain, Cassandra Georgiou and Vice Captain Rena Lambos the girls maintained exceptional composure and are to be commended for their display of maturity and class throughout the day’s proceedings. The girls remain undefeated champions once again. Most Valuable player was Nansia Koukounaris, her vision and skill was exceptional throughout all games.
ISA NETBALL AND FOOTBALL It has been a positive start to the ISA winter Season with our Opens beating St Pauls Grammar School in Round 2 and only narrowly defeated by Barker in Round 1. The girls have shown exceptional resilience after a hard 3 days in Melbourne to come away with a win. Round 3 saw a very competitive match verse Oakhill College and unfortunately the girls were defeated. Both Junior teams have displayed tremendous sportsmanship and after round 2 have not been able to win a match, however round 3 both teams displayed tremendous improvement and their hard work was rewarded with wins against Redlands.
Day 3 Indoor Soccer where our young squad led by their Captain Natalie Michos played extremely passionately for their school. With some dubious decisions and some mixed results the girls were
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knocked from first position in the last seconds of the final match, however achieved an overall position of 2nd. The girls need not be upset by this result as a young team but take this to inspire them to achieve one better in 2014. Most Valuable player was Natalie Michos, her leadership and skill was exceptional throughout all games.
BOYS SPORT ISA REPS Congratulations to the following boys for making the ISA First XI Football Representative team Niko Fotopoulos, Christopher Kolistasis and James Andrew, also congratulations to Nicholas Makridopolus of Year 10 for making the Boys 2nd XI.
Volleyball competition allows the girls to unwind from the previous two days of gruelling competition and training involved in Basketball and Netball. Emphasis is purely to have fun and enjoy the spirit of the games. Our success in Volleyball in the past has not been favourable in fact we have not been able to win a match and are extremely happy to win a set. So when we were able to win our first ever match vs St Johns you can understand our surprise. We continued to win our next match against All Saints Grammer finding it difficult to contain our excitement. However, our next match we were faced with Oakleigh Grammar School who had been undefeated champions for many years and took their Volleyball seriously. The girls were happy with what they had already achieved and were not in the least disappointed when we lost the first set 25-4. However, the determination evident within this group of girls showed that they do not like to loose and they fought back to win the second and third set causing the biggest upset of the championships. The girls went on to be undefeated champions for Volleyball and the officials praised them for their improvement over the day and encouraged them to continue playing Volleyball. Most Valuable player was Andriane Efstratiou, who in the first match could not serve but her determination and persistence saw her serve to win us the championship.
Nicholas Makridopolus Christopher Kolistasis
James Andrew
Niko Fotopoulos
It has been a busy time for boys sport over the last 4 weeks with our involvement in the National Greek Orthodox Schools event, ISA football, CIS cup and representative trials. I would like to commend all the boys and staff on a wonderful beginning to the winter season sports programme of the College.
Overall, it gave me much pleasure to watch over the girls for the three days of competition. Their dedication and pride for their school is clearly evident and is to be commended. Many thanks to all teachers who accompanied the students on the trip as coaches or supporters: Ms Gonzalez, Ms Gambriell, Mr Zafiropoulos, Mr Kaldis and Mr Georgoulopoulos also to Angelina Flokis an exstudent and coach for her care and attention to our younger students. Thanks to Mr Meintanis for his coordination of the tour. Finally, to our parents, Mr and Mrs Mio for their generous donation towards team dinner and Mr and Mrs Albanakis for their sponsorship of the touring shirts.
NATIONAL GREEK ORTHODOX COLLEGES SCHOOLS EVENT Every year the Greek Orthodox Colleges across Australia wide compete against each other in sports and in the performing arts in a celebration of collegiality and in the spirit of forging long lasting friendships between the schools. This year the hosts of the event were Oakleigh Grammar, Melbourne and our boys participated in
Thank you to all parents who travelled to support the students.
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basketball, football, futsal, volleyball and table tennis over three days beginning on the 7th May and concluding on the 8th May.
over the years has helped to shape our schools success and motivate the boys who follow you to reach for that same success.
The boys were competitive in all sports and deserve praise and acknowledgement for their efforts and resilience in their performances. In basketball the boys were looking to win back to back titles but were unfortunately unable to win the close contests against St George College of Adelaide and St Andrews College. The boys were, however, successful against the other Colleges.
On behalf of all the boys we would like to thank all the staff members who supervised and coached the teams at this event and in particular Mr Meintanis for coordinating our schools efforts.
ISA FOOTBALL After our initial success in Round 1 of the ISA Football tournament the boys backed up to perform with the same enthusiasm and passion in round 2 and 3 of the competition.
In boy’s football and futsal the boys had a mixed day in terms of performance. The boys drew 1-1 with St Johns and defeated all other colleges with the exception of St George who were the eventual winners. In futsal much the same occurred with 1 draw to All Saints College wins in all other games with the exception of St George narrowly losing 5-3.
Results are as follows: Round 2 Open Boys defeated Redfield College 3-0 U16/17’s drew with Redfield College 1-1 U15’s defeated Redfield College 3-0 U14’s white defeated Redfield College 4-0 U 13’s lost to Redfield College 4-0
Although we were not successful in winning the volleyball or the table tennis the boys played the games in the right spirit and had a wonderful time. The boys acknowledge that we will need to work harder next year to take home the overall trophies from any of these events and while being disappointed, the boys should be proud of their efforts knowing that they tried their best.
Round 3 Open Boys defeated BMG 2-1 U16/17’s defeated BMG 2-1 U15’s defeated BMG 5-0 U14’s White defeated BMG 5-1 U14’s Blue defeated Oakhill College 1-0 U 13’s draw with BMG 0-0
A highlight of the tour was the stirring performance of Aphroditi Zafiropoulos and Panayioti Kapodistrias in the performing arts performance. Aphroditi sang beautifully and together with Panayioti they represented our College in the best possible manner.
Highlights include clinical finishing from James Andrew of Year 12 in the Open boys team who is the leading goal scorer. Nicholas Fotopoulos in defence who has led by example together with Nicholas Makridopolus in holding the back line and ensuring support play as well as an easy transition from defence to attack. Christopher Kolistasis also deserves mention as he has been a versatile player, playing in the midfield and distributing quality through balls for the attackers together with Alexander Coplin.
To the Year 12 boys who participated in their last year in this event we commend and congratulate your leadership, dedication and most importantly your passion for your College. Your involvement
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Round 5 - 1st June – St Pauls Grammar, St Patricks College and Redfield College.
Other highlights include highly competitive performances from the U16/17 boys from Nicholas Baratsas in defence and George Karapanayiotidis and Anthony Vasili in attack.
The draw has been favourable this year with our first 4 games scheduled at Heffron Park in Maroubra, I would like to thank all the parents, friends and extended families of the St Spyridon College community for supporting the boys’ teams and the BBQ. Much of this year’s success is on the back of the favourable draw and strong collegial feel at the ground. With 5 away games scheduled over the remaining weeks of this term and the next, I kindly ask all parents to assist students in preparing adequately for Saturday games by ensuring that they are at the designated bus pick up points promptly. As well as ensuring that all students are wearing the correct full school sports uniform including sports bag.
CIS CUP In the 15 boys they remain undefeated and strong performances from James Stathis as well as Elias Hatzon have helped the boys keep clean score sheets.
In other news the boys Open team played in their first round Combined Independent Schools Cup game at Wentworth Park on Tuesday and defeated St Andrews Cathedral School 5-2. We wish all the boys the best of luck in their upcoming game against Riverview College. The tournament is a prestigious knockout tournament played annually the boys are looking at managing to win through to the third round.
The 14 boys teams are both undefeated with exceptional performances from Jordan Stojkovic in Goals for the Blue team, and the white team are playing a very impressive and structured game particularly against Blue Mountains Grammar, with strong performance from Panayiotis Bounos, Peter Giokas and Billy Retsas.
On a personal note I would like to than Mr Condous for offering to take photos at the boy’s football and Mr Zafiropoulos for his continued support and assistance in managing boys’ football. Thank you also to all the staff who are coaching on Saturdays for your ongoing support and commitment to the sports programme.
The 13’s have also been very positive and while they lost in round 2 the boys bounced back and were unlucky not to win in round 3. Christopher Kumar has attacked with intent and James Karagiannis has been working tirelessly in the midfield.
Good luck to all the boy’s teams in the coming weeks.
In the weeks ahead our boys will be playing against.
Ms K. O’Shea (Girls Sport) and Mr F. Kaldis (Boys Sport
Round 4 - 25th of May- Central Coast Grammar, St Andrews Cathedral School and Redlands
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NATIONAL GREEK SCHOOLS EVENT 2013
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