VOLUME XXXV No 7 25th May, 2018
DATES TO REMEMBER MAY th
Pentecost
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Half Yearly Exams Primary begins
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ISA Cross Country Carnival SS Year 5 excursion to Seymour Centre TIGS Football Comp JS
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77th ANNIVERSARY ANZAC BATTLES OF CRETE AND THE GREEK CAMPAIGN
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JUNE st
Careers Expo Years 11&12
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Futsal Competition U10s JS
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Leadership Assembly Futsal SS ASISSA Cross Country JS Futsal SS Queen’s Birthday – Public Holiday – School Closed
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Athletics Carnival SS
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Divine Liturgy
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Athletics Carnival JS
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Parish Trip departs
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Parent/Teachers interviews JS K-4&6
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Parent/Teachers interviews JS K-5
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Term 2 ends for staff and students
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Our St Spyridon College Senior Leaders were invited to attend the very poignant wreath laying ceremony at Sydney Cenotaph, Martin Place on Saturday, 19th May. It was an opportunity to give thanks to the brave Anzacs and Greek people who defended Greece in 1941. It was during this time, Crete was the scene of the largest German Airborne operation of the war and the first time in history that an island had been taken by airborne assault. But it was the Cretans deep faith in freedom and independence, which forged their will to resist, together with the allied troops of Australian soldiers. May their memory be eternal. LEST WE FORGET.
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Parish group 1 returns from Greece
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Staff development day
23rd
Students return
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Parish group 2 returns from Greece
27th
Mrs V. Grillakis Team Leader - TAS Creative Arts
K-12 NEWS CONDOLENCES
The virtual tour takes you through six important online topics including social media, screen time, personal information, inappropriate content, cyberbullying and contact with strangers. Each topic offers practical tips and advice on how to allow children to explore safely and manage online issues if they arise.
Our sincere condolences are extended to our Enrolment Officer, Mrs A. Kringas and her family on the passing of their beloved mother and Grandmother Georgia. May her memory be eternal. INFANTS PROGRAM
SCHOOL
BUILDING
Take the tour: https://esafety.gov.au MOTHER’S NIGHT OUT
As you are no doubt aware, the construction of the infants school building has been suspended until its future is decided at the Extraordinary Meeting (EGM) of the Parish members on the 30th May 2018. The Principal Junior School Mrs Synesios, Mrs Katsogiannis and I have been asked many questions on the reasons for this suspension, which at the present time, we are not in a position to answer.
THANK YOU P&F Our warmest congratulations are extended to Mrs Kasmas and the P&F Committee for the wonderful Mother’s Day dinner that they hosted on the 17th May. It was wonderful to be in the company of strong and faithful women across the generations. We thank all the parent body for their support of the P&F through your attendance at events, the purchase of prizes and raffle tickets and the generous donation of prizes.
We hope to be able to provide more concrete information to our parents following the deliberations of the EGM. Whatever happens at the EGM, everyone involved is committed to building a state-of-the-art Infants School. Once again we ask for calm as we await the outcome of the EGM. Let us express our views respectfully and in a way that will bring credit to our College. Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag Head of College NEW INTERACTIVE ONLINE SAFETY TOOL FOR PARENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE eSAFETY COMMISSIONER Whether you are a parent, carer, aunt, uncle or grandparent it can be a difficult task keeping up with young people and technology or even knowing when and how to start the conversation about online safety in your household. Meet Screen Smart Parent Tour — the new interactive self-reflective tool that helps parents and carers of pre and young teens keep on track with online safety. 2
P&F NEWS MOTHER’S NIGHT OUT Our Mothers’ Night Out turned out to be a huge success yet again. We raised an amazing $17,000! This is equal to last year, which was our most successful event so far. This was only possible because of the amazing generosity of our guests and donors and the ingenuity of our team who worked tirelessly over two months to put everything together for a fun night in an atmospheric venue. Everyone went home with something this year. The fun prizes included $2 raffles, goody bags, lucky door gifts, a silent auction, envelope prizes, and the $50 deck of cards with two grand prizes valued at over $1000 each. A heartfelt THANK YOU for your continual and faithful support of our fundraising events. And a special thank you to all who donated a prize and made this night extra special. Please check out more photos from the night also on the St Spyridon Facebook page.
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Desma Spyridopoulos – P&F Assistant Secretary Leslie Paparsenos – P&F Secretary
JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT perform procedures that require logical thought. 17 students at our College were awarded Credit certificates while Alexandra Bizannes from Year 6 was awarded a Distinction.
CONGRATULATIONS Last week, Steven Paras of 5A was presented his prize of an iPad mini for winning the 2017 Antenna Christmas Card Competition. Children from around Australia participated. We thank Mario Kiteri and Antenna Pacific for the opportunity to participate.
Below are the names of the students that need to be commended for their outstanding performance in gaining a Credit. Year 5 Ryan Lynch Alster Dhamari Amali Roumanous Chrissy Drakakis Phillip Preketes George Alexandratos Peter Winnel Year 6 Dimitra Kasmas Catherine Coutts Chrysa Kirkis Sarah Constantinidis Elizabeth Notaras Isabelle Zeiderman Holly Durrant Jordan Haramis Andrew Dalessis Gabriella Gouveros Mr A. Dookie Deputy Principal HEAD LICE We have had some reports of Head Lice in the school and we request that you check your child’s hair. If you find lice, kindly remove all eggs before you send your child back to school.
COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
&
The following facts may assist when considering treatment options:
ALGORITHMIC
Students in Years 5 and 6 joined students from another 455 schools to participate in the Computational & Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition. The competition seeks to identify computer programming potential. The problems presented test the students’ ability to accurately 4
Head Lice have been causing havoc for millennia. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of infestations found on 5000 year old Egyptian mummies.
Eggs are referred to as nits and the baby offspring nymphs. A single louse can lay up to 150 eggs within a month.
Head lice are a parasitic bug, they cannot fly or jump they can only crawl. People get head lice from direct hair to hair contact with another person.
HALF YEARLY EXAMINATIONS AND CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Formal examinations for the Primary have been scheduled for the 28th May – 8th June. Please note all Co-Curricular Activities, including training, in the mornings and afternoons, have been suspended for the next two weeks (28th May – 8th June).
Lice do not live long off their hosts. James Cook University researchers checked the carpets of 188 primary school classrooms and found no evidence of lice yet they discovered 14,033 lice on the heads of the students.
Many head lice do not cause itchiness, so you will often be required to look closely to find them.
No single treatment will kill all eggs. James Cook University researchers recommend the conditioner-and-comb method for maintenance or dealing with resistant lice. This method involves coating dry hair thickly with cheap conditioner, to first stun the offenders, and then using a lice comb on every part of the hair strand by strand and scraping it on a tissue to see if there are any lice or nits.
Activities will resume the week commencing 11th June. YEAR FIVE VISIT TARONGA ZOO “ROAR” growled the lions as they charged towards the gate at the end of their enclosure. I could smell the fear of the birds as the little children chased them around in circles. On the 4th May 2018, year 5 students went to Taronga Zoo. As we walked through the gates, I could sense all the kids’ excitement. We went to two shows and on the way we saw some amazing and unique animals. There were some huge birds swooping from one side of the arena to another. My favourite was the big, Indian Vulture. It was as black as the night sky and would fly just a few centimetres above our heads.
You’ll need to re-treat or comb in seven days after the newest eggs start to hatch. Combining the conditioner and comb treatment every second day until no lice have been found live for 10 days is recommended.
The other show we went to was the seal show. Those seals were talented! They were doing double backflips, dancing and even shaking other people’s hands. My favourite was Marlie because he was the biggest and could do some amazing tricks. Unfortunately, the seals are known to be endangered.
Lice may develop a resistance to the insecticides in some commercial treatments, so they may not always be beneficial as the conditioner and comb approach.
Some other animals we saw were the kangaroos, giraffes and elephants. There were also turkeys running around however, I was quite scared of them.
As a precaution, dab a spot of teatree oil behind your child’s ear before school each day or spray their hair with hair spray.
Overall, I had an amazing excursion at Taronga Zoo and I cannot wait to go on the next excursion. Amali Roumanous 5A Student
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On May the 4th all of year 5 went on an excursion to Taronga Zoo. My favourite animals were the seals because they did so many tricks and stunts. The seals are also an endangered species and some were even rescued from the wild. Another favourite animal of mine were the meerkats they are like little humans but with fur and adorable little faces.
nothing but mist. They followed the whispers now, but wait, BOOM! CRASH! BANG! They were tumbling down the rocky, hard wall. It wasn’t an easy journey, but once they reached an open, (somehow lit by lava) alleyway, at the end was a door with a keyhole. John knew that it couldn’t be that easy with ten keys laying in front of them, they had to pick the right one. Jason decided to take the first key. As the key lifted, sweat dropped from the brother’s faces. He inserted it into the keyhole, hoping for it to be a perfect fit.
I also enjoyed the tiger trek which was like going on an aeroplane. When you walk out of the plane it felt like I was in a different country. It made me feel like we were in Sumatra, Indonesia. We didn’t see any tigers though.
For a moment there was silence, nothing to be heard. The walls were closing in. On one of the walls a keyhole appeared. They tried and tried to fit the keys. To their suspense the walls shifted out and they dropped. They all woke up simultaneously. But a voice still lurked in the air. “You have only finished one part of saving us.”
The giraffes were very tall and impressive. Their legs were over one metre long. Over all, I really enjoyed the zoo, but I don’t think the animals had enough space of their own, like they would have had, in their own natural environment.
Andrew Dalessis 6P Student
George Alexandratos 5I Student
Mrs A. Synesios Principal Junior School Cries! Cries! Mysterious Cries! “The key! You must obtain the cure!”….. Let me take you back to where this all started. It was a Saturday morning with three ordinary brothers watching TV. When suddenly, the TV lost signal. A strange voice spoke, “You are in grave danger, you must find the key to saving the world,” the strange voice spoke in such terror that eight year old Samuel started crying. The other two brothers were horrified. They needed to go outside to clear their heads. A deathly mist hallowed through sickening cries, “The key! You must find the key!” The oldest one John lead the way, knowing the only way that the cries would stop was through following, and getting to the source of what this key was. Followed by Jason and trebling Samuel, they made their way through the woods, only to find themselves lost in a never ending world of whispers. Eventually though, the mist lead into a dark, deep cave. Since it was pitch dark, they saw 6
SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT GIRLS GET ACTIVE DAY On the 10th of May, the Year 10 girls attended the Girls Get Active Day at the University of New South Wales. The purpose of this excursion was to encourage and educate girls about the importance of participating in sport. We had the pleasure of listening to accomplished female athletes such as Joany Badenhorst (Para-snowboard), Jess Mileusnic (Volleyball), Danielle Prince (Rhythmic gymnast), Enind Sung (Rhythmic gymnast) and Melody Francis (Squash). We had the chance to ask questions, listen to their stories and to learn about their achievements. All the athletes were inspiring in particular Joany who lost her left leg when she was a child. This did not stop her from pursuing her passion for snowboarding. In addition, we also had the opportunity to participate in a range of activities instructed by the athletes such as rhythmic gymnastics, volleyball, squash and basketball.
Nicoletta Tsimboukis Year 10 Student
Overall, the day was very enjoyable and encouraged all girls to participate in sport and get active.
At the event, we competed with year 11-12 students from various schools where we had to deliver an 8 minutes prepared speech on a topic of our choice, and then an impromptu speech, which we were given 3 minutes to prepare for.
LOCAL PUBLIC COMPETITION
SPEAKING
On Friday 18th of May, myself and George from Year 11, accompanied by Ms Vardas attended the NSW Plain English Public speaking local finals at South Maroubra High School.
I chose to discuss the topic “Incarceration Rate of Indigenous Australians” and George, “The North Korean Peace Settlement: forgive but never forget”. Overall this was a stimulating and challenging experience to channel our public speaking skills, as being able to analyse and present an argument under pressure is a valuable skill for any field and career path we may take.
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Students in Web. Comp (Beginners) learn to write web pages in HTML and CSS while competing with students from around the world. The Beginners stream is designed for students with no prior experience of web development, and covers everything necessary to start building real websites. The results were:
Stella Ktenas Year 11 Student
- With a Perfect Score: Anastasi Poulos, George Nicholos, Danae Margaronis-Lopez, John Leondios, Mateo Keres, Bill Bourdaniotis and Nikolaos Ghelis.
ST SPYRIDON STUDENTS EXCELLING IN INFORMATION SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY
Kosta Ioannou, Andre Jovanovic, Christo Keramitzis, Matthew Serghis and Neofyto Tsakirios achieved a High Distinction.
More than 6,000 students from around the world participated in “Grok Learning's Web. Comp. 2018”. They competed for 5 weeks, using code to design websites of increasing sophistication and complexity.
Year ten also participated in the Web. Comp at they were at the Intermediate strand.
Computer science skills are critical, whether you want to cure cancer, solve global warming or unlock the secrets of the universe. It’s really good to see these students making a positive start at a young age, and hope their successes may encourage other people to take up coding too!
Students in Web.Comp (Intermediate) also learn to write web pages in HTML and CSS while competing with students from around the world. However, the Intermediate stream is designed for students who have some prior experience of web development, and moves rapidly through the basics of building real websites.
Students of Year nine and ten Information & Software Technology classes have recently performed outstandingly in this international coding competition.
The results were:
The results of the competition have now been released, and several students achieved exceptionally high scores.
- With a Perfect Score: Thomas Mouratidis, Reece Malanos, Andrew Karaniki, George Kalergis, Belal Hijazi, Nicholas Drakoulis and Marissa Diakoumis. Michael Dimitrakopoulos and George Hatzidis achieved a High Distinction. Paul Bessiris achieved a Distinction and Amin Shokri achieved a Credit.
Year nine participated in the Web. Comp (Beginners) strand.
The Design Tournament, which is the culmination of the competition, was in the fifth week. The Tournament gives students a chance to flex their coding and design skills, submitting 8
website designs which are then voted on in head-to head-rounds.
DEBATING On Wednesday 9th May, three St Spyridon College debating teams travelled to Emanuel School to debate in Round 4 of the 2018 HICES Debating Competition.
It would be wonderful to recognise the work and achievements of these students, who did a phenomenal job in keeping engaged, excited and inspired for the 5 weeks!
Our Opens team remained undefeated in Round 4, and will be competing in the Finals of the HICES Debating Competition in June.
To quote the organisers: “A huge congratulations to these students, as well as to all students (and teachers!) who submitted designs. We were blown away by the quality and creativity of your students' work and they should all be incredibly proud of themselves!”. And we are.
While our two Middle teams were not successful in winning their debates in Round 4, they are to be congratulated on their efforts in debating this year. The Middle teams are composed of Year 7 and Year 8 students, and their enthusiasm and commitment has been wonderful throughout the competition.
Mr G. Georgoulopoulos IST/IPT/IDT VET - Senior Teacher
Unfortunately, our Senior teams were not successful in making it through to the Finals this year. However, they too are to be commended on their energy and dedication in debating this year.
NATIONAL ART SCHOOL We are happy to announce that this year three students were accepted into the National Art School Intensive Studio Practice. They are Nikolija Jovanovic, who was accepted into Printmaking, Sophia Keterinis, who was accepted into Photography and Roula Nicholos, who was accepted into Life Drawing. We are very proud of these students’ achievements. This is a highly competitive program, accepting about 50 of the 1500 students across the State who apply. We wish them well.
Throughout the competition this year, all students received feedback regarding how to refine and improve their debating and speaking skills. Our debating teams look forward to their next opportunity to put their improved skills into practice later in the year. All debating students are to be commended on their efforts in debating this year, and are encouraged to maintain their high level of enthusiasm as we work towards our next opportunity to debate. Ms V. Laskas English/History Teacher Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School Deputy Head of College
Ms M. Pringle Visual Arts Teacher
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PREFECT PROFILE Name: Lefteri Valmas Number of years at St Spyridon College: since 2013. Previous leadership roles: Peer Support Leader. Subjects I am currently studying: Advanced English, Ext 1 English, 3 Units Mathematics, 4 Units Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. Hobbies: reading, watching movies, playing videogames. My future aspirations: University. My role models: parents, scientists, doctors Favourite quote: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit� – Aristotle. My proudest moment: finishing accelerated Greek HSC. One student principle that is most meaningful to me and why: Student Principle 2: We contribute to the life of our Church and community, and exercise our responsibility as citizens of a Democratic nation, always obeying the rule of law. We all have a responsibility toward our family, church and our community. It is the choices we make in helping in each one of these important areas of our lives that will make our world a more peaceful, friendlier and happier place. Throughout my childhood, my parents have always volunteered at my schools, our church and within the community giving me the opportunity to see the benefits of helping others. It is very rewarding to see people less fortunate than yourself be given a helping hand and that you have played a part in providing and giving back to your community. I find that this principle resonates in everyday life from home, school and in all aspects of life. As a child and student, you have to follow rules. At home and at school there are rules that have been set and it is important that they be followed as it is for your own benefit. It is also important to understand that there are consequences for rules and laws not being followed. I have found that it is easier to do the right thing as I do not like trouble and I believe that throughout my school life I have obeyed the school rules and I have made my school proud of the young man that I have become.
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PREFECT PROFILE Name: Felicity Ginis Number of years at school: I have attended St Spyridon College since kindergarten. Previous leadership roles: SRC member, Peer Support Leader, Corinthians House Captain. Subjects I’m currently studying: English Advanced and Extension, Mathematics, Business Studies, PDHPE, Legal Studies, Modern Greek Continuers (completed). Hobbies: I’m extremely passionate about sport, especially, gymnastics, soccer, basketball and athletics. I also enjoy drawing or anything art related as well as following my favourite TV shows and of course being with my family and friends. Future aspirations: To further my studies at University where I would like to undertake a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) which hopefully will open future opportunities for an enjoyable and successful career. I also look forward to many travelling adventures after school. Role models: From my parents to grandparents, relatives, teachers and coaches, numerous people in my life embody admirable values of compassion, resilience, kindness and a strong work ethic. Their unconditional love, support and encouragement truly inspires me and provides me with great strength and determination. Favourite quote: I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Proudest moment: Involvement in the School Community has played a significant role in my life. From the achievement of the Αριστευειν Distinction scholarship in year 6 to the completion of the HSC Modern Greek Continuers course, for me, this school has facilitated countless opportunities for accomplishment and subsequent proudness in these accomplishments. For this reason, I also believe the completion of high school along with the overcoming of obstacles faced this year will be a defining moment for me. Student Principle 5: We consider our studies to be our main goal and undertake to be active participants in our own learning. We set goals for our lives and strive to achieve them with a positive state of mind, always working towards justice, truth and beauty. This principle resonates with me as I’m always driven to do my best in everyday life, especially when confronted with challenges. I strive to apply this principle in all aspects of my life whether that be in my studies, sport and even by striving to be kind-hearted towards others. Setting goals allows us to embrace opportunities and achieve our potential. By achieving set goals not only do we feel a profound sense of fulfilment, although, more importantly through the process of accomplishing we gain knowledge and experience.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT BELIEVE you can AND you will ACHIEVE
STUDENT LEADERSHIP SOUP KITCHEN BEGINS Year 9 began their soup kitchen duties recently. Students took along five large bags full of tea, coffee, sugar and pasta as well as a cheque for $900 (the profits from our Easter Raffle). It was wonderful to see Father Nektarios looking well and back sitting in his corner seat. Earlier in the year Father had been quite ill and needed two operations. Thanks to God and the power of prayer, Father now is feeling much better. Though this may have also been a result of the fact Father starting to eat meat, something he had not done for 28years!
This week Stephanie, Vicki and Lexine from Year 9 were very happy to have helped out: “It is especially nice when the people are so very thankful to see us assisting there”. Thursday's meal was chicken in a tomato sauce, baked potatoes and salad. There were also a number of crates full of packaged bread and bread rolls that some business had donated on offer for whoever wanted to take them.
The students who attended last week said they were surprised that it was “actually really good”, and that they not only enjoyed it but also felt good for having helped others in a practical way.
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PREFECTS VISIT THE BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH FACILITY Last Week Year 12 Prefects who assisted at last Year’s White Peal Ball Fundraiser for Brain Cancer, were invited to a “Thank You Morning Tea”, Certificate presentation and tour of the Brain Cancer Research Lab at the Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital. It was fascinating to learn about the complexities of the research that is being conducted. It was also wonderful to hear and see that funds we helped raise were put towards the purchase of a specialised laboratory microscope, as well as enabling one of the key researchers in immunotherapy to continue her work for another three years. We thank Mrs Suzane PeponisBrisimis (Director and Board Member of the Brain Cancer Group - formerly known as SNOG) for all her efforts and the hospital staff for taking time out of their very busy day to not only warmly welcome us, but also present an informative power point, lab tour and morning tea. We look forwards to future collaborations for this worthy cause.
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MOBILE PHONES Last Friday’s student of the Week was awarded to Christina Pascalis for her sunny attitude, her eagerness to being involved in new initiatives and her readiness to help out whenever called upon. Additionally, we must also mention that big big smile that Christina ALWAYS has READY! Congratulations!
For many of us mobile phones have become a necessity. However, when students are at school they are not to use them while on school grounds. This includes listening to music, playing games, taking photos or videos, sending messages, checking the time, make/answer calls, or checking social media posts. Furthermore, mobile phones should not be used irresponsibly while travelling home on public/private buses. This includes taking photos of others in school uniform and posting them on Snapchat/Instagram, making inappropriate comments on social media, or ‘pranking’ peers. If parents need to communicate with their children while they are at school, this should be done via a call to the school office or through sms, preferably sent during recess (11.00am till 11.23am) or lunch break times (1.25pm till 2.03pm) – not class time.
TECH TALK FRIDAY
Numerous reminders have been given to students at assemblies and by Year Advisers. Our expectations are also outlined in the student planner and parent handbook. If students are seen using phones they could be confiscated.
THE VIDEO GAME “FORTNITE” “Fortnite” is the latest video game grabbing youth’s attention.
STUDENTS OF THE WEEK
The game has been attracting millions of players with its survivor-style play where people compete to be the last one standing. Players reported that it is the team interaction and strategy that hooks them. Other factors that seem to be contributing to its popularity are that it is free and that it can run on the simplest of computers.
Earlier in the month, Florence Georgas (Year 12 Prefect) was spotted assisting an elderly person who was struggling with their grocery shopping, and helped them get into a taxi. This simple selfless act, that many of our students do without prompting, is testament to what distinguishes us from the rest. Our students understand and they do!
“Fortnite” is a third-person shooter game. Violent games, even non-gory ones like “Fortnite”, warrant conversations with our youth. Parents need to decide if they will allow such games in the home and if allowed to play, then at what age is it “ok”? Whatever decision is made, the rationale behind the decision should be shared with the kids. It sounds easy, but it can be tricky to verbalize these kinds of thoughts. The problem that exists with this game (outside of the violence) is that kids are struggling to control the amount of time they play it. Recently 15
in the USA a teacher said that several of her students are coming to class exhausted from staying up all night playing “Fortnite”. Another student who claimed he was not a gamer, in general, found himself rushing home with the intention of playing for a half hour before doing homework and then heading off to basketball practice. But he started noticing that he would begin playing and in no time it was time for practice, and he had not done his homework. For younger kids, and for people who are more susceptible to compulsive behaviours, changing a habit on one’s own is not so easy. That is why it is vital for parents to talk about how to set limits for appealing things like “Fortnite”. If you are unsure whether your kid needs strong time constraint rules, try this:
Decide (ideally with their input) the amount of time they have until the game needs to be turned off. When that time is up, do they shut off the game themselves? If not, talk to them about what is happening and why they think they are having a problem to shut off?
What you can do when a game like “Fortnite” consumes your child’s every waking moment?
Ask your child what they like about the game? What is it that makes you want to play for hours on end? Is it the camaraderie? The strategy? Do they think there is a difference between 1st-person-shooter games and 3rd-person-shoot games? Is it easier to not start playing a video game than to have to stop yourself once you are playing one? What do they think they can do to stop when they don’t want to?
Ms G. Kokinelis Dean of Middle School
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GREEK COLUMN Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι,
Και σήμερα πια, στα 1896, με την έμπνευση του Πιερ Ντε Κουμπερτέν, οι πρώτοι σύγχρονοι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες ξεκίνησαν και πάλι από την γενέτειρά τους την Ελλάδα και θα φιλοξενούνται κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια σε κάποια πρωτεύουσα κράτους γύρω στον κόσμο.
Στο τεύχος αυτό θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με το γραπτό μαθήτριας της Γ΄ Λυκείου που είναι σχετικό με την ενότητα των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων που τελειώσαμε το προηγούμενο τρίμηνο.
Οφείλω να σας πω ότι η είδηση της ανάληψης των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων από την χρεωκοπημένη Ελλάδα, έτυχε μεγάλης αποδοχής απ’το ελληνικό κοινό, τον τύπο, την βασιλική οικογένεια και φυσικά όλους τους Έλληνες του εξωτερικού. Γι’ αυτό τον λόγο στάλθηκα από την εφημερίδα μας και βρίσκομαι εδώ για να καλύψω τις προετοιμασίες για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες και την έναρξή τους.
Καλά να περνάτε. κα Μ. Φαλέτα Topic: You are a journalist visiting Greece to observe and report on how the preparations for the Olympic Games are going. Write an article about this, which will be published in a Greek newspaper overseas.
Συνάντησα μια Ελλάδα σε άσχημη οικονομική κατάσταση, που απορώ πώς κατάφερε και ανέλαβε ένα τόσο μεγάλο κόστος για έργα που απαιτούνται για τέτοιους Αγώνες. Έγκριτες πηγές αναφέρουν για ένα ποσόν των 3.740.000 δραχμών, μυθικό ποσό όπως εκτιμά η κοινή γνώμη.
Αγαπητοί/ές αναγνώστες και αναγνώστριες, Είμαι πολύ συγκινημένη αφού σας γράφω από την Αθήνα όπου ο κόσμος ζει σε άλλους ρυθμούς. Για πρώτη φορά διεξάγονται ξανά στη χώρα που τους γέννησε οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες. Αυτοί οι αθλητικοί αγώνες ήταν το σημαντικότερο αθλητικό γεγονός της αρχαίας Ελλάδας. Διεξάγονταν μετά το θερινό ηλιοστάσιο, κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια. Σύμφωνα δε με τον μύθο, ο Ηρακλής ήταν εκείνος που έδωσε το όνομα στην πόλη Ολυμπία και στους αγώνες αυτούς. Φυσικά, οι Αγώνες ήταν αφιερωμένοι στον Ολύμπιο Δία του οποίου το τεράστιο χρυσελεφάντινο άγαλμα, ένα από τα επτά θαύματα της αρχαιότητας, στεκότανε περήφανο στο ναό του στην Ολυμπία και παρακολουθούσε τους Αγώνες. Οι νικητές θαυμάζονταν και γίνονταν «αθάνατοι» μέσα από ποιήματα που γράφονταν γι’αυτούς και από αγάλματα που φτιάχνονταν προς τιμή τους. Όσο για το έπαθλο των νικητών, ήταν μόνο ένα στεφάνι από κλαδί ελιάς, που όμως η αξία του ήταν ανείπωτη για τον αθλητή που το αποκτούσε.
Παρόλα αυτά, τα έργα τελείωσαν και η Αθήνα ετοιμάστηκε για το μεγάλο αυτό γεγονός. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι ο διάδοχος Κωνσταντίνος, θέλοντας να εξυψώσει το ηθικό των Ελλήνων, αλλά και τη φήμη της Ελλάδας στο εξωτερικό, ηγήθηκε μιας οργανωτικής επιτροπής και κατάφερε να μαζέψει από τον «ρακένδυτο» ελληνικό λαό 330.000 δραχμές, ενώ από γραμματόσημα και από τις πωλήσεις των εισιτηρίων, μαζεύτηκαν πάνω από 600.000 δραχμές. Πολλοί δε ευεργέτες, ανάμεσα στους οποίους ο Γεώργιος Αβέρωφ ανακατασκεύασαν, με μαρμάρινα καθίσματα, το ΠαναθηναΙκό στάδιο και του ξανάδωσαν την παλιά του αίγλη. Παρά τις οικονομικές επιβαρύνσεις που υπέστη ο ελληνικός λαός, κατάφερε να διατηρήσει την αισιοδοξία του και καθώς τα έργα τελείωναν έβλεπα όλο και περισσότερο το χαμόγεμο να αστράφτει στα κουρασμένα μα περήφανα πρόσωπα των Ελλήνων. Ήταν σαν να ξαναζούσαν την αίγλη και την χαρά που ζούσαν οι πρόγονοί τους στην διάρκεια των Αγώνων αυτών. Όσο δηλαδή, ολοκληρώνονταν τα έργα τόσο ο ενθουσιασμός μεγάλωνε.
Δυστυχώς όμως το 393 μ. Χ. ο αυτοκράτορας Θεοδόσιος απαγόρευσε την διεξαγωγή όλων των παγανιστικών γιορτών και μαζί με αυτές και των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων.
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Αναφέρουμε επίσης ότι το καινούριο άθλημα που προστέθηκε για πρώτη φορά στους Αγώνες είναι ο Μαραθώνιος. Πρόκειται για τον αγώνα δρόμου που ξεκινάει από τον Μαραθώνα και καταλήγει στο Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο και διεξάγεται σε ανάμνηση της θρυλικής διαδρομής που έκανε ο Αθηναίος οπλίτης Φειδιπείδης από τον Μαραθώνα στην Αθήνα για να ανακοινώσει στις αρχές και στο λαό τη νίκη των Αθηναίων κατά των Περσών.
καπέλα τους σαν να έδιναν το σινιάλο για την έναρξη των αθλημάτων. Αγαπητοί/ές αναγνώστες και αναγνώστριες, είμαστε τυχεροί που είμαστε Έλληνες, που έχουμε μια τόσο λαμπρή Ιστορία και αυτή την απίστευτη εσωτερική δύναμη μετά από κάθε «χαστούκι» της μοίρας να σηκωνόμαστε ακόμη πιο δυνατοί!
Στόχος του Ντε Κουμπερτέν με αυτό το άθλημα είναι να αναμετρηθεί η νεολαία όλων των λαών σε έναν ειρηνικό αγώνα δρόμου και όχι σε πολεμικά πεδία. Επίσης, με το άθλημα αυτό ο Ντε Κουμπερτέν θέλει να αποτίνει φόρο τιμής στους Έλληνες, οι οποίοι ανέκοψαν την προέλαση των Περσών στην Ευρώπη.
Με τους θερμότερους χαιρετισμούς μου στην ομογένεια. Ελένη Πρεκετέ, δημοσιογράφος της ελληνικής εφημερίδας «Κόσμος». Eleni Preketes Year 11 (Modern Greek Year 12)
Δεν σας κρύβω ότι είμαι περήφανη που είμαι Ελληνίδα και πολύ συγκινημένη που έζησα αυτές τις υπέροχες, συγκινητικές και εξαίσιες στιγμές στην πατρίδα μας, την Ελλάδα! Η έναρξη της τελετής των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων ήταν φαντασμαγορική. Υπό την συνοδεία των αυλών και των τυμπάνων ακούγονταν παιάνες από πανέμορφες κοπέλες ντυμένες με αρχαίες ελληνικές φορεσιές. Μετά ακολούθησαν οι εύζωνες με την λεβέντικη περπατησιά τους κρατώντας ελληνικές σημαίες. Ο κόσμος έκλαιγε και δεν ντρέπομαι να παραδεχτώ ότι κι εγώ δεν μπόρεσα να συγκρατήσω τα δάκρυά μου επειδή έβλεπα αυτόν τον λαό που μαστίζεται από φτώχεια να ανασταίνεται και να «ψηλώνει το κεφάλι» περήφανος για την ιστορική κληρονομιά του. Μετά παρέλασαν οι δεκατέσσερις χώρες που πήραν μέρος κρατώντας τη σημαία τους η καθεμιά και η τελετή έκλεισε με την ελληνική ομάδα που παρέλασε τελευταία και τον ελληνικό εθνικό ύμνο. Ήταν κάτι απερίγραπτο! Φανταστείτε το ΠαναθηναΙκό στάδιο κατάμεστο, από πάνω του να κρέμεται ένα ολόγιομο φεγγάρι, να τραγουδάει κι αυτό μαζί με τον βασιλιά, τον λαό και τους αθλητές τον εθνικό μας ύμνο! Μόλις τέλειωσε ο ύμνος, οι άντρες, γιατί μόνο άντρες αθλητές παίρνουν μέρος, πέταξαν ψηλά τα 18
SPORTS COLUMN GOAANSE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA NATIONAL SCHOOLS EVENT CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOYS The annual Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia National Schools Event is a highlight on the school’s sports calendar for all the school students. An opportunity for students to represent their school in various sports, but also an opportunity to develop friendships with other students from the Greek Orthodox Schools across Australia. This year the event was hosted by St Johns College from Melbourne.
enjoyed their underdog status and the thrived together with their coach Mr Zafiropoulos who managed to get the best out of the boys. For the Futsal team it was a memorable day with the boys remaining undefeated for the tournament. The game against All Saints Grammar was particularly exciting for all involved with the boys coming from behind to secure a 3-3 draw with Hesan Soufi scoring in the final minutes off a free kick, drilling the ball past the keeper to ensure the team remained undefeated to clinch a memorable tournament win for the boys.
With competition in Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Futsal and table tennis as well as the performing arts there is always ample opportunity for the students to showcase their skills in various sports and performances. For the year 12 students competing it was their last Orthodox Sports week and the motivation to do well was clearly evident on the first day of competition on Wednesday with the Futsal and Volleyball competition. Before competition began the students from all Schools assembled at Church for the opening blessing service on Wednesday 9th May which was presided by his Grace Bishop Ezekiel. It was a very moving occasion for all involved. The beautiful chanting that accompanied the service was inspiring and a true blessing for all to be part of. In addressing the students his grace emphasised the importance of the resurrection hymn, and emphasised the need to forge long lasting friendships among the students. His grace also compelled the students to compete fairly but with vigour and to enjoy the games for what they truly are a celebration of what unites all the students across all the Archdiocese schools. Both boys’ teams were victorious on the opening day of competition winning both the Volleyball and Futsal. It is only the second time in the competition that the boys have been able to win the Volleyball and this fete is certainly due to their positive approach and enjoyment of the competition. The team really
In the second day our boys competed in the outdoor football gala day and this year’s format with pools benefited the students allowing for longer games and ample opportunity for the teams to settle into their strides. The team defeated St Johns in the opening round 4-1 and followed that up with a very positive showing 19
against St George College winning the game 50. In the final the boys played against Oakleigh Grammar and were convincing winners, winning 6-0. It was a polished performance throughout the day for the team and they were outstanding in all three games.
It would be remise not to mention the wonderful group performance from the School at the Schools Dinner on Thursday evening. Spiros Zafiropoulos, Jennifer Eve Contominas, Dean Albanakis, Rhea Tsimboukis, Chris Kumar were electric. From the amazing rendition of 'tis eudokias’ to the beautiful dancing our students were a huge success and represented the school with great dignity receiving the gratitude and congratulatory applause from their peers. Congratulations to all the boys for not only their positive approach to all sporting fixtures but for their discipline, their composure and importantly their humility in winning. Pride did not overshadow their victorious ways and as a consequence success was even more delightful for all involved. After such a successful tournament it is testament to the boys sporting programme of the College that insists that the boys learn how to win and how to lose. This is defining, and perhaps the greatest victory of all.
The third day the boys tasted success again with victory in the basketball. For the schools Open boys this represented their last tournament together and the boys were well above the rest. After last year’s disappointment, this year the boys were very dominant and they were easily far too good for their opponents despite the shortened format of the game. It has been a wonderful season of sport for this team undefeated throughout the year in all games. A fete that has not gone unnoticed and for those who know the hard work and effort they have put in they deserve all the sporting accolades the School has to offer.
To the Year 12 boys you were outstanding ambassadors of the College. Your performances for the School were amazing and I commend you on how you managed to inspire our younger students. Truly, Year 12 you leave behind a legacy in Sport that will be difficult to emulate. Congratulations and thank you to all of you. Congratulations and thank you also to St Johns College for hosting a seamless event, an event that is highly anticipated and thanks to St Johns College, their Parish and leadership team it was a flawless display as to how to be a hospitable host. Congratulations also to all the boys who received the Most Valuable player recipients for their respective sports in 2018. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER SELECTED FROM EACH SPORT Volleyball – Zac Prelec Soccer – Hesan Soufi Futsal – Jonathon Lynch Table tennis – Nicholas Kollias Basketball –Alexandros Gousetis
In the final wash up the boys had a wonderful three day tournament winning 4 of the 5 competitions. A very impressive tournament, perhaps one of the Schools’ most successful tournaments in recent memory. 20
Thank you also to all my colleagues for their support and encouragement throughout the three day event, truly a team effort, and now the students’ attention turns to Adelaide as St George host next year’s competition. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GIRLS The Annual Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia National Schools Event took place this year in Melbourne. St Johns College hosted the event over three days commencing on Wednesday 9th May – Friday 11th May. This event is highly anticipated event by all students as not only do they have the opportunity to display their talents in their sporting endeavours but they more importantly are provided with an opportunity to foster friendships with other students who share similar cultural and religious beliefs. The schools included; St John College (Melbourne), Oakleigh College (Melbourne), St George College (Adelaide), St Andrews College (Perth), St Euphemia College (Sydney), All Saints College (Sydney) and St Spyridon College. The event commenced with all schools gathering on Wednesday at church for a blessing and reminding students about the importance of fair play and sportsmanship. From here we all travelled for the first day of games. The girls were involved in Girls Futsal and Volleyball. The girl’s futsal team was competitive all day with some tight matches throughout the tournament. Despite their efforts and intensity shown in each game the girls had a couple of narrow losses which resulted in overall 5th place.
Thursday 10th May the girls Netball competition was the most anticipated event of the week with the girls looking to win back the trophy they had lost in the previous year. The girl dominated most the day with all girls equally contributing to the success on the court. They displayed exceptional sportsmanship and were gracious of their opponents in all games. Replicating last year the last game against St Euphemia would determine the overall winner of the day.
Congratulations to Nikki Cardamis who was voted MVP for the day. The Volleyball competition always is a highlight for the girls and epitomises the true spirit of sport, with all girls sharing laughs and enjoyment throughout the day. Each girl tried their best in a sport which most certainly is not familiar for them, but most importantly they enjoyed the day. Congratulations to Christina Vlahos who was voted MVP.
Unfortunately, the girl’s slow start allowed St Euphemia an early lead which ultimately became too hard to reverse given the shorter games. I cannot falter their efforts throughout this match, the girls worked hard until the final siren and despite having moments of brilliance to narrow the score the extreme intensity and mentality of the opposition in the end resulted in us losing the game by 6 points. Credit to St Euphemia College who demonstrated an exceptional shooting performance; however, the defensive effort of Christina Vlahos is to be commended as her performance was second to 21
The girl’s table tennis result was the best we have ever seen. The students Efthima Kollias, Anastasia Gavalas, Ephemia Damanios and Desi Kapodistrias finished 3rd overall, an excellent achievement. Congratulations Ephemia Damanios who was awarded MVP for table tennis.
none and left the coaching staff feeling very optimistic about the team’s ability to succeed in the ISA competition. As a result Christina Vlahos was awarded MVP.
Perhaps the team with the most pressure going into this tournament was the girls Basketball team. A strong previous school history winning this tournament 19 years straight set the expectations for the girls. The girls were focused and determined all day winning most their games comfortably but most importantly all girls contributed to the success on the court. Once again the final result would be decided by the last game with both St Euphemia and St Spyridon undefeated throughout the day. St Spyridon girls led early and continued the lead throughout the duration of the game eventually winning the game and consequently retaining the schools proud history in this event. Congratulations Rhea Tsimboukis who was awarded MVP for Basketball. 22
A fitting finish, not only for a successful week of sport for St Spyridon but also for a group of girls whose contributions to school basketball has been outstanding. The final celebrations at the venue demonstrated immense school spirit with the boys also winning at the same time we were able to celebrate as one school together in unity. At this point all students showed exceptional School spirit and support for one another and there was no denying the strong sense of pride each student felt for St Spyridon.
also acknowledge the significant financial contribution from the P&F who enabled the students to travel to the event. The students enjoyed a comfortable stay with beautiful dinners each night and without the P&F support this would not have been possible.
I must acknowledge the contributions made by all the Year 12 girls who have all played an important role in the success the School has achieved over the years. Your presence will be missed, not only on the courts but also your leadership and genuine concern for the younger girls involved created a strong sense of team spirit. Each and every one of you have been exceptional ambassadors and role models for your School and you are to be commended for your service to School Sport. Thank you, Rhea Tsimboukis, Jennifer Contominas, Victoria Zois, Maria Krassas, Nikki Cardamis, Elaine Andrew and Felicity Ginis.
Finally, thank you to Mrs Stefanou and Mrs Katsogiannis for their continual support for sport. I hope the students did you proud and represented the College with the expectations and high standards that you instill in them each day. BOYS SPORTS
Success throughout the week would not have been possible without the support of all the teachers and coaching staff. Firstly our external coaches Cassandra Georgiou for Netball and Mr Contominas for Basketball who travelled to Melbourne to coach the girls. Words cannot express the gratitude the girls and the School have for your dedication and efforts in preparing the girls not only for the National Schools Event but also throughout the years in the ISA. Both coaches have not only improved the skills of the players but also instilled a level of belief in their abilities and this has no doubt been integral in their development as players. To all the staff that travelled with the students Ms Flokis and Ms Savva also Mr Zafiropoulos and Mr Condous for their support on and off the courts. Thank you to Mr Kaldis for your exceptional leadership with the event logistics throughout the week but most importantly your continual support in girls sport, your actions and support towards the girls has filtered through the boys of the College and as a result they too were very supportive of the girl’s achievements. We must
The School’s sports programme continues with the ISA Football competition taking precedence and the School’s football teams looking to try and do even better than last year. Since the beginning of the term the boys have embraced the challenge of various sporting competitions and school sport trials. It has been a great start to the term with the success of the teams involved in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese competition but also significantly the excellent start for many teams in the boys ISA Football competition. The boys have embraced the challenges of competitive sport, enjoying the process involved in mastering performance and learning to continually strive to improve. Those involved in boys sport would know the hard work and effort that all the boys have committed to not only improving their individual performances but also the team dynamics. It is not easy maintaining focus and drive throughout the entire season, however the 23
boys are striving to be better every week and it is the sports teams hope that this is having a positive impact in their overall school performance. BOYS FOOTBALL TRAINING The Schools football teams have begun training after school every Thursday at Heffron playing field adjacent to Des Renford Leisure Centre. Training begins at 3:30pm and concludes at 5:00pm. All boys are encouraged to attend to help make training meaningful and constructive. ISA FOOTBALL Hosting football games on Saturday for the college is a real treat; the college has managed to make Chifley reserve a real stronghold for our football teams. The School logo on the banners adorns the fields and the School marquee situated on the small hill oversees the proceedings for the day. It feels as though it is an extension of the College. ROUND 2 Two weeks ago the students assembled for team photos and used the first home game of the season Saturday 12th May against St Andrews Cathedral School as an opportunity to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. The Open boys donned their pink socks and despite being tired and fatigued because of their return from the GOAANSE the Open boys were outstanding defeating St Andrews cathedral School 5-1. It was a wonderful day despite the weather and I take this opportunity to thank all families and staff for their support. Of this initiative, the School managed to raise $1400. Thank you also to the people working behind the scenes at the BBQ: Mrs Paraskevas, Mrs Georgas and Mrs Kollias for their support in making the day a success.
ROUND 3 This week the boys competed against Redlands College. For the Schools First XI an opportunity to extend their undefeated run against what was clearly a much tougher opponent. The boys did not disappoint and were victorious winning 2-1. It was a very tight contest and while not the best performance from the boys with noticeable absences from the team, Charlie Christofides really sparked the team in attack and continued his flawless attacking football from the previous week against St Andrews Cathedral School. He was supported by all the boys but Hesan Soufi in the midfield was instrumental in creating many opportunities for the boys. Jonathon Lynch together with Nathan Adam and Daniel
The week also marked the first win of the season for many of our teams including the schools 2nd, 14A, 15A teams. We learnt a great deal from round 2 of the competition and were definitely looking to improve again going into round 3 of the competition. 24
Xeras put in typical performances that have really shaped the season to date.
information to successful team members in the coming weeks.
In other results the U14 A were courageous victors despite being down to 8 because of illness to a number of boys; they found a way to win with Stefan Gemisis and Alex Skountzos, both outstanding in converting opportunities into goals. The U15 A team continued their strong form under the leadership of their coach Mr Magoulias and most pleasing was witnessing the U14 B team win their first game of the season. Although a difficult start to the season it is hoped that the team can now kick on from here and string together a number of wins to strengthen their claims for a semi-final position.
FUTSAL TRIAL v JUNIOR SCHOOL Once again the Junior School and Senior School joined forces to offer the respective boys futsal teams a game of futsal to help prepare the students for their upcoming regional futsal tournaments in early June. Both teams have progressed their game and will definitely like their chances. Good luck to both teams.
Next week the School hosts again against Oakhill College and for the Opens it represents an opportunity to see how far they have come together as a team. It will be a challenging week for all teams but the teams are working well together and with the great support the boys are receiving at home hopefully positive performances for all will follow.
UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS
ISA U16 FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVE
Congratulations to Jordan Polyzos for making the U16 ISA Football team. Jordan will now go on to represent the ISA at the CIS trials to be held on Monday 28th May. We wish Jordan the best of luck in this tournament.
CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING The annual ISA Cross Country Carnival will this year be held on Wednesday 30th May at the Sydney Equestrian Centre and the team have been busy training every Tuesday and Thursday morning we wish the team the best of luck.
KOOKABURRA CUP CRICKET TRIALS
Open Captains Breakfast Thursday morning 24th May Round 4 ISA Football Saturday 26th May v Oakhill College ISA Cross Country Wednesday 30th May @ Sydney Equestrian centre Horsley Park U14 Regional Futsal Tournament Wednesday 6th June at Bankstown Basketball Stadium Condell Park U16 Regional Futsal Tournament Wednesday 6th June at Bankstown Basketball Stadium Condell Park St Spyridon College Athletics Carnival 13th June @ Hensley Athletic field.
GIRLS SPORT
Boys interested in trialling for the Schools U14 Cricket team to compete at the annual Kookaburra Cup to be held in Canberra in October are currently trialling at School on Thursdays morning and will be doing so for the next three weeks. I look forward to forwarding
Saturday the 5th of May marked the commencement of the ISA Winter season. This year we have 8 Netball teams and 3 Girls Football teams. The girls had a positive start to the season with some wins and some competitive games. Please see below for the results: 25
ROUND 2 TEAM OPEN A Netball OPEN A Football Open B Netball Open C Netball Intermediate Netball Junior A Netball Junior A Football Junior B Football Junior C Netball Junior D3 Netball Junior D4 Netball
ROUND 3 OPPOSITION Oxley CCGS Barker 4 Barker 8 Barker SACS Chevalier Chevalier SACS SACS Oxley
RESULT 26-51 LOSS CCGS FORFIET 25-50 LOSS 14-29 LOSS 15-35 LOSS 32-21 WIN 3-0 WIN 0-3 LOSS SPY FORFIET 14-4 WIN 26-1 LOSS
TEAM OPEN A Netball OPEN A Football Open B Netball Open C Netball Intermediate Netball Junior A Netball Junior A Football Junior B Football Junior C Netball Junior D3 Netball Junior D4 Netball
OPPOSITION Oakhill 2 Redlands SACS
RESULT 20-42 LOSS 3-1 WIN 25-22 WIN
BYE SACS Central Coast Grammar School Redlands Redlands Central Coast Grammar School BYE
36-11 WIN 33-28 WIN 4-0 LOSS 1-0 WIN 31-11 WIN
BYE
ROUND 2 TEAM OF THE WEEK
ROUND 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to the Junior A Netball team. This team consists of girls from Year 7 and Year 8 and they are the first Junior team to be entered in Division 1 for ISA. Ms Flokis is to be commended for her exceptional coaching achievements with these girls pushing them to reach their potential and have belief in their abilities. They have already shown improvements particularly in their team cohesion and consequently won their first match against St Andrews Cathedral School.
The Open Girls footballers remain undefeated after 3 rounds. They performed exceptionally well at home in Round 3 against Redlands with Victoria Zois their captain scoring two goals. This was also the Pink round for the girls where they wore pink sock and contributed to the fundraising efforts for Breast Cancer Research. Over the past two weeks the girls and boys involved in sport along with their parents support were able to raise $1400 which will be donated to Breast Cancer Research.
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STUDENT PROFILE Congratulations to Matija Gacevic who has been selected in the NSW U14 team water polo team. The Water Polo State Team selection camp was held during the last school holidays and included only a limited number of players nominated by NSW head coaches. This is a wonderful achievement and we congratulate Matija. Matija will now be competing at the Pan Pacific Youth Festival 2018. This year the State Team will be travelling internationally to the prestigious 15th Pan Pacific Youth water polo Festival (Pan Pacs) in Auckland, New Zealand. The Pan Pacs is the largest Water Polo tournament in the Southern Hemisphere and will host over 150 teams from Pacific region including USA from July 7th to July 17th. We wish Matija the best of luck in this endeavour.
Mr F. Kaldis – Boys Sports Ms K. O’Shea – Girls Sports
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GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA NATIONAL SCHOOLS EVENT MELBOURNE - 2018 STUDENTS SPEECHES AND PHOTO GALLERY Μελβούρνη 2018 Σεβαστοί πατέρες, Αξιότιμοι καθηγητές των επτά κολλεγίων, Αγαπητοί συμμαθητές. Στο Κολλέγιό μας έχουμε σαν πρώτη Μαθητική Αρχή την διατήρηση της βαριάς μας κληρονομιάς. Οι παππούδες μας δημιούργησαν τα ελληνορθόδοξα κολλέγια όπου φοιτούμε ώστε να καλλιεργήσουμε τις αρετές που δόξασαν τους προγόνους μας. Το φιλότιμο και την φιλοξενία. Την ευσέβεια και την αγωνιστικότητα. Την αγάπη, την δικαιοσύνη και την παλληκαριά. Θέλουμε να τους μοιάσουμε στην εργατικότητα, στην φιλία, στην συμπόνια και στην ευπρέπειά τους. Προσπαθούμε να είμαστε καλοί και τίμιοι ο ένας προς τον άλλον, καθημερινώς – στην τάξη και στο γήπεδο.
Good afternoon Reverend Fathers, Heads of Colleges and fellow students, In 1996, 19 boys left St Spyridon Church on a bus and travelled to Melbourne to play basketball and football against St Johns and Oakleigh College. Three years later, St Johns and Oakleigh travelled to compete against the three Greek Orthodox schools in Sydney. 22 years later, the competition has grown from approximately 70 participating students to over 250, from 4 different States. What has become known as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese National Schools Event now not only brings together students from around the country who share a passion for sport and competing, but also share a language, a faith and a culture.
Προσπαθούμε να αντιμετωπίσουμε κάθε πρόκληση με υπομονή , αξιοπρέπεια, πίστη στον Θεό, χωρίς φόβο, πάντα έτοιμοι ν’ αρχίσουμε κάθε πράξη μας από την αρχή. Είμαστε πάντα έτοιμοι, ως ώριμοι μαθητές, να αναλάβουμε την ευθύνη για τις πράξεις μας και να μάθουμε από τα λάθη μας. Είναι μεγάλη μου τιμή που αντιπροσωπεύω το κολλέγιό μας στην φετινή αθλητική αναμέτρηση εδώ. Το λέω αυτό γιατί θυμάμαι όλους τους πρὠην μαθητές από το κολλέγιό μας, πού έχουν έχουν πάρει μέρος όπως κι εγώ τώρα κι έχουν τιμήσει με τις προσπάθειες και τις νίκες τους το κολλέγιο του Αγίου Σπυρίδωνα.
The students here all have something in common - sport has been an important part of our schooling lives. We believe that it is an integral part of developing the whole person - mind, body and soul - and are grateful for the opportunity to participate in an event that combines our love for sport and our love for our culture. As a year 12 student who has attended for the 4th year now, together with many of my friends, I have realised that GOANSE is not only anticipated each year for the competition, but also for the chance for us to see familiar faces each year. In treating each other with friendship, compassion and decency, the event has fostered many memorable moments between students. The bus rides, cheering from the sidelines, travelling and hours spent together have strengthened many friendships which we will cherish for a long time.
Εκ μέρους όλων των συμμαθητών μου θέλω να συγχαρώ το Κολλέγιο του Αγίου Ιωάννη για την φιλοξενία που μας πρόσφερε και να σας ευχαριστήσω όλους για την φιλικότητα με την οποία μας περιβάλατε. Σας εύχομαι καλή επιστροφή στα σπίτια σας. Εύχομαι στους συμμαθητές μου της Γ’ Λυκείου καλές μελέτες και καλά αποτελέσματα στις τελικές εξετάσεις τους.
Win or lose, we all come together at the Championship dinner, and enjoy the same food and music. These dinners have not only created many more unforgettable memories of dancing the Pentozali together, but are also a celebration of our culture and heritage. This is why National Schools Event stands out from the many other competitions students here participate in. It is
Καλή αντάμωση. Nicholas Kollias Sports Captain 28
not only an opportunity to strive for excellence on the court or field, but also share a language and culture with other students from around the country. Finally, on behalf of the students of St Spyridon College, I would like to express my gratitude to Ms O’Shea, Mr Kaldis and the staff who travelled with us for their dedication, committment and the passion they show in supporting every student in their sporting endeavours. What began as a bus ride has become a special event which has made countless memories for us. Rhea Tsimboukis Sports Captain
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