VOLUME XXXV Nº 11 17th August, 2018
DATES TO REMEMBER FROM THE HEAD OF COLLEGE
AUGUST Specialty Photos - JS
21st
ASISSA Athletics Carnival - JS
23rd
Book Week Incursion K-6 Year 3 Group performing at Southern Cross Nursing Home Daceyville St Fanourios Year 1 to Church
24th
Soccer Gala Day JS
28th
P&F Father’s Day Stalls – JS
29th
Year 7 -2019 Modern Greek Placement Test JS
30th
Last day Reading Challenge Logs to Library JS
31st
27th
SEPTEMBER Father’s Day
2nd
Year 11 Preliminary Exams begin
3rd
Father’s Day Doxology/Breakfast - JS
4th
Maths Cup - JS
6th
Greek Orthodox Athletics Carnival – JS
10th
ISA Athletics Carnival
11th
Vaccinations Year 7
12th
Year 12 Farewell Assembly
20th
Year 5-12 Doxology (Full School Uniform)
21st
Year 12 Farewell Dinner
24th
Senior School Showcase
26th
Festival of Learning - JS Open Day Term 3 ends for Staff and Students
28th
OCTOBER Staff and students return (Summer uniform)
15th
OHI Day Celebrations Spring Fair and Greek Welfare Centre Walkaton
28th
As you read this newsletter you will experience our College in action. The homily on the Dormition flows naturally into the P&F’s page. This provides many examples of the dynamic ways in which this Association builds a sense of community for all of us. We are very pleased that His Grace Bishop Iakovos will be with us for the Father’s Day Doxology and Breakfast. In the Junior School section we see a happy and well-connected school, with visits to the Senior School and a strong sports program. The high level of engagement in Public Speaking, Modern Greek, Science, Technology, Drama and Literature is most impressive. Just as powerful is the students’ capacity to work together to make the world better by their presence. In this, they gain inspiration from people like Arian Lemal - an extraordinary environmentalist and mountaineer who has made it his life’s work to clean up the rubbish left in the world’s highest and hitherto pristine mountains. In turn, our students inspire others to contribute in every way possible. Our prefect’s profiles are an inspiration in themselves. As we move to finals season in ISA sports, I look forward to seeing our students and parents showcase the best of our character by being gracious and honourable at all times.
I wish the Year 12 and HSC accelerant Year 11 students, every success in their HSC Trial examinations. I remind them that the significant leap to their personal best happens in that critical time between the end of the Trials and the HSC examinations in two months’ time.
Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag
K-12 NEWS HOMILY ON THE DORMITION OF THE THEOTOKOS
On the 15th of August, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Dormition or Falling Asleep of the Most Holy Theotokos and Mother of God. Orthodox Tradition teaches us that three days prior to her earthly departure, the Mother of God was visited by the Archangel Gabriel who gave her a date palm branch from paradise, signifying her victory over death, and foretold of her approaching Dormition. Following this, the Theotokos returned to her home and prepared for this event, praying that the Holy Apostles would be informed accordingly. By God’s divine will, the apostles were gathered from the four corners of the earth and finally, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ appeared in divine glory, accompanied by the ranks of angels and archangels, so that He may transport to His Kingdom, the Queen and Mother of all. Reflecting on this great mystery, St. Modestos, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (7th Century A.D.) teaches us that: “As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Saviour and God Who is the giver of Life and immortality, has been given life, by Him. She has received an everlasting incorruptibility of the body, together with Him Who has raised her up from the tomb, and has taken her up to Himself in a way known only to Him” (Encomium on the Dormition of our most holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary). The Virgin Mary plays an important role in the life of the Orthodox Church and is honoured by
all Christians throughout the world because it was the Theotokos who, by the divine Grace of the all-Holy Spirit, gave birth to the Son of God and it was from her that Christ had received His humanity (Luke 1: 35). By doing this, Christ united His divine nature to our human nature in order to transform it, making us sons and daughters of God and heirs of His Kingdom. The Theotokos also lived a pure and holy life, and we honour her greatly as the model of holiness, the first of the redeemed, the Mother of the new humanity in her Son. St. Maximos the Confessor (7th Century A.D.) teaches us that: “just as the Theotokos gave birth to Christ in a bodily way, so we too must give birth to Christ in a spiritual way by following her example of purity and humility by which she offered her free will into perfect obedience to the will of God” (Homily on the Dormition of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary). May Christ our God, through the prayers of His all pure Mother, our Invincible Champion, grant us health, peace, strength and above all, life eternal. Mr A. Picardi Orthodox and Legal Studies Teacher
UNITED FOR GREECE
To support the people of Greece affected by the national disaster caused by the recent fires, the College hope to raise $30,000 supporting the Lyreio Children’s Foundation (located between Rafina and Neas Makris) which was totally burnt down in the fires. The Foundation, described by reporters as a “children’s paradise” used to provide home and
shelter for 65 orphaned children. They have been temporarily taken in by families in Anavyssos. Both the Junior School and Senior School will announce ways in which our students and families may choose to contribute to this very worthwhile cause. To donate individually please follow the link below: https://www.gofundme.com/united-forgreece?sharetype=teams&member=506960&rci d=r01-1532674107639271d6e52c254ec9&pc=em_co_campmgmt_w UNIFORM SHOP Orders by email now available Orders can now be made by email through SpySchool:
Please download form from Parent portal through SpySchool. Complete the order form and email to: spyschool@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au
All orders will be collected from the Administration Office of the Junior School for Kindergarten to Year 6 or the Senior School for Years 7 – 12. Orders will be available on Thursdays only after recess. Please email orders by Tuesday 3:00pm the latest for Thursday pickup. Orders placed after Tuesday 3:00pm, will NOT be available for pickup until the following Thursday. The Uniform Shop will be closed 22nd, 29th August and 5th, 12th September, however email orders will be available. SPYSCHOOL During the next couple of weeks we will be enabling email notifications from SpySchool. Please ensure your email address is correct in SpySchool, which can be done by visiting the “Parent Page” and then “My Detail” block. Mrs M. Doyle Data Manager 3
P&F NEWS FATHER’S DAY STALLS Wednesday 28th August for 3 days only
FESTIVAL OF LEARNING OPEN DAY 28th September Call for sweet donations and parent helpers. SPRING FAIR STALL HIRE Please see form at end of this newsletter.
Please don’t forget to add this to your diary and to send your children prepared for the Junior School Father's Day Stalls. Gifts from $10 - $25. There are some new items this year, so the children can find that special something for the men in their lives.
JOIN OUR P&F MEETING
FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST Tuesday 4th September Volunteer mothers to help at the Breakfast: we need assistance with setup the day before and on the day from 7:00am, please complete the volunteer form or call Angela 0407061940 and join our amazing team for a fun morning. RAFFLE PRIZE DONATIONS
Next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 29th August at 7:30 pm at Doran House. All funds raised go towards the infants’ playground, and the sports and the performing arts programs for the Junior and Senior School in 2018. Desma Spyridopoulos P&F Assistant Secretary We still need more raffle prizes for this event. Please complete the form at the end of this newsletter and send in your donation to the Primary school office.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT SPECIALTY PHOTOS Specialty Photos will be held on Tuesday 21st August. Photos scheduled for this day are Year 6 Graduation Photo, Captains, Prefects, House Captains, Sports Athletics, Swimming, ASISSA, CIS representative teams. All students taking part in these photos will need to wear their full school uniform on this day. PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE The Premier’s Reading Challenge finishes for all students on Friday 31st August. All forms need to be in to the Library by this date. Mrs Bartlett will be in on 3rd September to send the details to the Premier’s department. No late entries will be accepted. LISTENING TO OUR STUDENTS YEAR FIVE VISIT TO THE SENIOR SCHOOL On Monday 6th August, 2018 Year 5 visited the Senior School. We learnt a variety of things for example in our P.D lesson we learnt that plastic is durable however, it is bad that it is durable because people only use them once, then the plastic ends up in the ocean killing marine life. We also learnt that the human race produces 300 billion tons of plastic a year! In History we learnt about the twelve Greek gods, one of them was Poseidon. He is my favourite Greek God because he’s the god of the sea and I love swimming. Poseidon has got a triton, a three headed spear, the tri from triton comes from the Greek word τρία which means three. He’s also the son of Cronous. In Mathematics we did an activity called crazy animals. This is where we mixed a giraffe and horse together and we found eight different combinations. Then we rolled dice and if you got a 1, 2 or 3 you got a part of a horse and if you got a 4, 5 or 6 you get a part of a giraffe. We did that several times until we couldn’t find any more combinations. We found different combinations 8000 times, but on a computer.
Bang! I shut the car door the wind was blowing the rain was pouring. I ran into the school. I looked around to find some friends and there they all were. We ran around and played for a while. After the bell rang, we all got ready to line up. The rain was getting heavier and heavier outside and class had finally started. The first subject for Group 2 was Mathematics. We rolled dice and played games with giraffes and horses. We explained how we got the answers and played the game many times. After that, we had recess but we had to stay under cover. We all wanted to go out and play but instead, yet again, the bell rang. We went off to PD and talked about recycling and the gifts God gave to us. We watched a few videos about the environment and then we went to History. We talked about mythology and Greek gods. We completed a cross word and cracked codes about Egyptian symbols. The day was finally over, and I got ready to go home. I had an awesome day at the Senior School and I can’t wait to start in 2020! By Georgia Gousetis (5A) On Monday 6th August Grade 5 went to the Senior School. In my opinion I loved the fact we could go and look from our own perspective, so we can prepare for it. In the playground when we walked into the school, there were all these giants walking around making the ground shake like an earthquake! Our first lesson which was personally my favourite was History. We had Ms Laskas and she taught History. It was very exciting and I enjoyed it very much. We learnt about Ancient Greek times and Greek god/goddesses. That is why I enjoyed it. That’s why it was my favorite lesson. Our second lesson was Mathematics. We counted how many possible ways we can make different number combinations out of horses and giraffes.
Overall, we all had a fantastic day!
We all had a fun day and I can’t wait to begin high school in 2020!
By Akis Dimitrakopoulos (5I)
By Savannah Giallafos (5I)
our planet and we need to do our bit to help our environment.
On Monday, 6th August 2018 Year 5 went to visit the Senior School. When we got there, we had to wait for an hour to start.
After that, we had a good bite to eat and headed off to another lesson. It was a History lesson where we learnt about the Greek Gods. I was becoming really interested in the lesson. I did some activities in History, they were very enjoyable too. This day was getting better and better.
Our first period was History and we learnt about Ancient Greece. Our History teacher was Mrs Laskas and we learnt about different Greek gods and different stories. After that, we had recess. I was able to sit with my older brother (Marlon) who is in Year 8 for a while then I just sat with my friends. When the bell rang, we played handball. The high school has a longer time to eat and play for lunch than the primary school does.
We headed off to Mathematics. We had Mr Kollias. I couldn’t remember the other teachers but that’s ok. In Mathematics we did an activity called crazy animals where you had to mix up a giraffe and horse to make different number combinations. After all those interesting activities, we finally had sports. We played some interactive games to do with our hands. I was getting emotional because this day was about to end.
When recess finished, we had Mathematics with Mr Kollias. We used crazy animals to do clever counting. I didn’t really enjoy Mathematics but that’s ok because I will like it when I go to high school.
Still, I am glad I came to the high school. My favourite part of the day was PD and History because they were highly enjoyable activities and we learnt something new.
After Mathematics, we had Orthodox Studies with Mr Picardi. We learnt about the Transfiguration and watched a video about it. We also learnt about the environment and watched a video about that too.
By Irene Primikirios (5I)
We then had lunch and played soccer the whole time!
Mr A. Dookie Acting Principal Junior School
In the end, I enjoyed going to the high school and can’t wait for Year 7 in 2020. Zane Rallis (5I) Massive amounts of students, a lot of rooms and a lot of work! I couldn’t imagine what high school life would be like! When I first got to the high school I was so excited that I almost cried! It was massive, my jaw dropped. It was so detailed! It felt weird because at the primary school it was a lot smaller than the high school. We met our peer support leaders who were very friendly. Ms Kokinelis put us into groups. I had two peer support leaders. I was fascinated with all the rooms. Imagine going through all those rooms and being confused? My first lesson was PD and we were talking about materials we use and how we should recycle. It is sad because people are polluting 6
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS PROGRAM NSW Futsal State Championships On Tuesday 31st July, we took our U12’s Boys and Girls Teams to compete in the Futsal NSW State Championships in Penrith. A solid effort from both teams, however we didn’t progress to the finals. Both teams won two games and lost two games. The coaches were happy with their overall performance and sportsmanship throughout the day. Absent: Stephen Varvaritis, George Kakakios. Athletics Combined Squad Training Athletics Squad training sessions with the Senior School squad were held on Tuesday 7th and Thursday 9th August at the Senior School. Students who will be competing in the ASISSA Carnival were given the opportunity to train for their event with Junior School, Senior School Staff and Glen from Little Athletics. We thank Mr Kaldis and Ms O’Shea for their support and all the staff that assisted.
ASISSA Interschool Sport Last term Year 6 took part in Soccer for ASISSA Interschool Sport. Congratulations to our boys Supersix team who were undefeated and were the Champions in their competition for Term 3. Zane Rallis and George Agiasotis from Year 5 were also involved. A big thank you to Mr Amditis for coaching the team.
Upcoming events:
23rd August: ASISSA Athletics Carnival - ES Marks.
28th August: Football Gala Day Hosted by St Spyridon- David Phillips Sports Complex.
10th September: Athletics Carnival.
Mrs C. Diavatiotis Sports Coordinator
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Greek
Orthodox
SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION On Thursday 2nd August, Maria-Angela Patsalis of Year 9 and Isabel Malanos of Year 8 attended Caringbah High School to compete in the Local Plain English Public Speaking Competition. Maria-Angela Patsalis spoke about ‘Forced Marriage’ and Isabel Malanos spoke about ‘The Myer Briggs Test’. Both girls spoke exceptionally well. Congratulations are due to Maria-Angela who has made it through to the next level. Maria-Angela will be competing at the Regional Final on the 6th September. We wish her the best of luck.
Ms S. Vardas HSIE Teacher
perceived function of a product at its point of disposal. Each student’s project also reflects upon social issues including pollution in our oceans, Alzheimer’s disease, cultural expectations, take away meals, Borderline Personality Disorder, obesity, media and selfimage.
Ms T. Zervos Technology, Visual Arts Teacher SCIENCE
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY During Semester 1, whilst learning the topic of sustainability, Year 10 Design and Technology produced sustainable fashion wearables using reused/recycled materials. The aim was to raise awareness of the importance of normalising sustainable practices in everyday life. The reuse and upcycling of everyday ‘one time use’ objects, such as plastic bags, lids, plastic wrappers, food wrappers, newspapers, plastic cups, disposable cutlery etc. stresses the need for finding new solutions to change the original
On 2nd August students of Year 9 and Nikolija Jovanovic (Year 11) attended the premier of the Science documentary called “Vitamania”. The documentary was produced by Sonya Pemberton and had Dr. Derek Muller taking us through a journey about the making of Vitamin supplements and how it is distributed and used. It not only raised awareness about the importance of nutrition in the food we consume but also the way we consume our food. Please see below the students impressions about the event.
After school on Thursday 2nd August Dr Srinivasan along with Year 9 and 11 students visited The Factory Theatre to watch Dr Derek Muller’s “Vitamania”. This included a Q&A with Dr Derek Muller and watching a documentary which educates people on what vitamins and supplements are and how safe are they to take. The documentary went for 90mins and talked us through from what vitamins we must take, to what they are and how much of them we needed. The documentary also discussed common deficiencies people have and supplements they’d take. It’s really surprising how many people still have deficiencies in this day and age even though only a small amount of each vitamin which is needed every day and we are much more educated than in the 1900s.
2018 STANSW Young Scientist Awards
Overall it was a great and informative experience which allowed us all to take away knowledge, not only for school but for our own benefits in knowing how to better our nutritional intake. Nikolija Jovanovic Year 11
Year 8 Students will be carrying out independent student research projects this term. This coincides with the Young Scientist Competition conducted by the Science Teacher’s Association of NSW. We encourage Year 8 students to consider participating in the competition as they can submit their research outcome following the rules and guidelines on the young scientist website (www.youngscientist.com.au).
Last night, on the 2nd August, Dr Srinivasan and 5 students went to the Factory Theatre to watch a documentary about Vitamins. Hosting the event was Dr Derek Muller who has 4.8 million subscribers on ‘YouTube’, created the documentary “Vitamania” – the effects of vitamins. We learned about the different types of vitamins, what happens when people do not consume and the different types of diseases that come from lack of use. It was an enjoyable and exciting night for all.
Please contact your Science teacher for more information. Dr L. Srinivasan Science, Physics Teacher
James Bletsas and Evan Tsiokos Year 9 10
YEAR 10 DRAMA DELL’ARTE WORKSHOP
CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK 2018
COMMEDIA
On Thursday 9th August, the Year 10 Drama students took part in a Commedia Dell’Arte workshop presented by Scott Parker from Matriark Theatre. Each year across Australia, the CBCA (Children’s Book Council of Australia) brings children and books together celebrating CBCA Book Week.
The students investigated the origins of this Italian form of theatre and engaged in a variety of activities and exercises to explore the techniques and conventions of its comedic style. They were also able to experiment with handcrafted, leather Commedia masks to transform into each of the stock characters, such as the wealthy old Pantalone, the egocentric yet cowardly Il Capitano and the mischievous and always hungry servant Arlecchino.
During this time schools, libraries, booksellers, authors, illustrators and children celebrate Australian children's literature. In 1946 the CBCA established annual book awards to promote children's books of high literary and artistic quality.
The students really enjoyed this workshop and are looking forward to creating their own Commedia Dell’Arte performances later this term.
These awards are now the most influential and highly respected in Australia. There are six categories in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards:
CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers
CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
CBCA Book of Childhood
CBCA Picture Book of the Year
Eve Pownall Award
Crichton Award for New Illustrators
the
Year:
Early
To celebrate book week, some students from Years 7-9 participated by writing a review and guessing which book is the most notable book for 2018. Here are the students with their reviews and my review of Swan Lake – a visual retelling of a classic ballet story.
Mrs L. McCoy Drama Teacher 11
HOW TO BEE by Bren Mcdibble
BECAUSE OF YOU by Pip Harry
This short listed novel “Because of you” is an exhilarating story written by Pip Harry. The remarkable plotline of the story is able to attract any ordinary teenager looking for a fantastic book and the exploration of the characters and their friendship are entertaining throughout the novel. Overall, I personally believe that this deserves to be the winner. It is an upbringing adventure filled with hope and fulfilment written by a talented and sophisticated author with excellent flow of writing.
How to Bee is a story set in the future where all bees on earth have been killed due to poisons. Now, the bravest children willing to climb trees have to manually pollinate flowers for more fruit produce. This book is great for those who are trying to advance their reading skills, because it consists of a more serious story line and also some technical vocabulary. I recommend this book for readers aged 8-14. I commend this book on many aspects, such as the dystopian (an imagined degraded world) story line, the serious situations in which Peony (the main character) has to face, and the language used. I’d like the book “How to Bee” to win the Best Children’s Book because: it is great for readers that are willing to expand their reading skills, it is good for encouraging children to use sophisticated vocabulary, and also to expand and let their imagination run wild.
Reviewed by Eleni Nicholas – Year 8 This book is about homelessness, new understanding and unlikely bonds. This book should win as the CBCA book of the year for older readers because of its brilliant ability to show you a new side of Sydney and a great insight into the life of the homeless. It is written with an easy going and interesting style.
Reviewed by Adam Stamos - Year 7 Reviewed by Chloe Drougas – Year 10 Please note this book was chosen the winner of the CBCA Younger Reader.
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IN THE DARK SPACES by Cally Black
BALLAD FOR A MAD GIRL by Vikki Wakefield
“Ballad for a Mad Girl” should win as best book of the year because unlike many other books, it’s continuously interesting. Right from the first page it’s thrilling. The Book is so interesting that even when you’re tired, it’s hard to put down! Also, the book is very easy to understand. The story itself is thrilling because the main character, Grace Foley, is slightly mad, making her actions reckless and unpredictable. This makes “Ballad for a Mad Girl” one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Cally Black has an intuitive way of understanding young readers and their craving for a good story. “In The Dark Spaces” had an amazing plot and gives us the clear message of world peace and always helping others. I would recommend this book to any of my 12-15 year old friends and peers. It’s a superb book the rest of the world has yet to discover and I hope it can take fellow readers on the journey that it took me on.
Review by Isabel Malanos – Year 8
Reviewed by Anna Kakakios – Year 7
This is a brilliantly spine-tingling mystery novel which will have readers constantly on the edge of their seats as they turn the pages, desperate to know what happens next. Despite this novel having supernatural elements to it, Wakefield keeps a steady balance of fiction and reality, adding in the relatability of real life stresses while still maintaining a sense of eeriness, keeping with the theme of mystery and suspense.. It will have readers burning with curiosity as the story unfolds. While the novel is not classified as scary, there are a few key moments crucial to the plot which will leave the readers with goose bumps, however not to the point where they won’t be able to sleep. Ballad for a Mad Girl is a phenomenal read and deserves an incredible amount of appreciation.
“In the Dark Spaces” by Cally Black is a stunning an intense story of a child in a sci-fi universe. The story explores what happens when an alien race objects to the human presence which threatens its own existence. This story explores themes including exotic languages to intrigue the reader along with important subjects such as human rights and so much more. The characters tenacity, coupled with her willingness to learn and to question makes the reader connect more with this exotic novel. Reviewed by Christo Keramitzis – Year 9 Please note this book was chosen Older Reader – Honour book.
Reviewed by Anastasia Dougenis – Year 9 13
An exciting ghost thriller that will leave you wanting more. This book takes you on an adventure that is hard to forget. I would totally recommend this to readers who like cold mysteries. By reading this book you will get a mixture of different emotions.
FLORETTE by Anna Walker
Reviewed by Larissa Arnautovic – Year 7
THE SECRET SCIENCE OF MAGIC By Melissa Kell
This is a magical picture book recommended for 4 years and up. It is an inspirational book with simple illustrations but the messages is very important and powerful. This book explains that if you fall you can get back up and never give up. This book is an exploration of we adopt to change. I think this picture book should win. Reviewed by Terry Flevaris – Year 7 MALLEE BOYS by Charlie Archbold
I think this book has a very interesting storyline and characters. This book is suitable for ages 1416 or 12-13 advanced readers. I definitely would recommend this book to friends. I like how the author of this book used two diverse characters from different worlds and united them. It is a book with lots of emotions that deals with questions on friendship, love and family. Reviewed by Jennifer Pyliotis – Year 7
Mallee boys display a vast variety of techniques that keep the reader turning pages for hours. This book shows how people come together after they lose a loved one. It displays how even when the situation is impossible and inevitable 14
to overcome hope breaks through sorrow and drought. I recommend this book as CBCA 2018 book of the Year for young adult readers.
emotions entwined with the characters and their actions. I am mesmerised by the figures that twirl and leap across a stage in a ballet production.
Reviewed by Constantino Hadjiparaskeva – Year 9
The art, gracefully paying homage to its ballet roots, is the star of the show and I highly encourage you to check out this mesmerising book. A beautiful picture book illustrating a classical ballet and a tragic love story.
Please note this book was chosen Older Reader – Honour book. SWAN LAKE by Anne Spudvillas
Reviewed by Ms R. Bishop – Librarian
Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School Deputy Head of College
I recommend this picture book to win as it has no text at all and makes you think. The colour is dark and grey and the pictures are a bit confusing. In my opinion this book is not for very young ones, at least 12 years old as you need to have an open and artistic mind and think about the colours, how they mix and blend to form a picture. Reviewed by Nikolas Dimaris – Year 7 Inspired by the Murray Darling River Spudvillas has created this classic tale beautifully. This is a retelling of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, inspired by the landscape and bird life of the author’s riverside home. Spudvillas has immersed the reader into a richly atmospheric world, line, colour texture had been used to full effect. The pages are mostly dark but with glimpse and pockets of light. The careful selection of colours added to the dramatic illustrations, creating 15
MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT
“Leading by example provides opportunity for kids to realize they can make a difference when they learn to live outside of themselves.”
THE SUMMIT SWEEPER VISITS
JEANS FOR GENES DAY
As part of this year’s Science week theme “Game Changers, Change Makers”, Middle School students from Years 8 and 9 had the pleasure of listening to an inspiring environmental awareness talk by Arian Lemal. His story is that of two burning passions coming together naturally: mountaineering and environmentalism.
Last Friday our annual fundraising effort for the Children’s Medical Research Institute was held at the Senior School. Students enjoyed the break from regular school uniforms by wearing their favourite jeans and making gold coin donations, while SRC’s sold Jeans for Genes Day merchandise both at School and Westfield Eastgardens Shopping Centre. Altogether a total of $1500 was raised. This will be added to the funds gathered by volunteers from across the states, enabling revolutionary research to help diagnose, understand, and find cures or treatments for conditions affecting kids, including genetic diseases, cancer, and epilepsy. Well done everyone especially SRC’S: Madelyn Perdikakis, Billy Bounos, Elleni Mouskos, Taylor Marinos, Mary Diamond, Elise Georgiou, Evan Hatgis, and Billy Bourdaniotis.
At the age of 11, Arian Lemal climbed his first mountain, over 5,000 metres in height, in Kenya with his parents. It was the start of an extraordinary human adventure of travel, encounters and shared experiences. In 2006, when he was climbing the highest mountain in both the Southern and Western Hemispheres – the Aconcagua (6,959 metres) in Argentina – alone at the age of 22, he was astonished by the amount of litter left on the route by previous climbers. He took on the truly Sisyphean task of carrying over 150 kilos of waste, which had 16
accumulated over the years, back down the mountain, completing many return trips and sometimes digging for hours to clear the ice of waste left by unscrupulous climbers. It was these noble feats of achievement which earned him the nickname “the Summit Sweeper”. Following the Aconcagua climb Arian made repeated cleaning expeditions to the world’s summits. - French Alps (2007): 120 kilos - Ile de la Réunion (2007): 10 kilos in 7 days of hiking. - Nepal (2007): 130 kilos. - New Zealand (2008 and 2009): 80 kilos. - Pakistan (2009 and 2010): 100 kilos at an altitude of more than 7,000 metres. Along the way Arian obtained a Masters in Environmental Management and policy, writing his thesis on the subject of waste management at high altitude. However, it was his mountaineering experiences that motivated him in spreading the message behind his story: the importance of caring for our environment. If we show love and responsibility for all that we have then perhaps, through the efforts of one person at a time, the negative impact of some unthinking human behaviours can be limited if not reversed. In this way future generations may continue to enjoy our world… including the once pristine mountains.
YEAR 7 CO-CURRICULAR STUDENTS SHINE
DRAMA
During Term 2 and 3, the Year 7 Co-curricular Drama class have been working on individual character development. To showcase their ability, students were placed into groups where they were required to develop a play of their choice, with the guidance of their teacher. This involved the students developing a script, identifying and developing their chosen character, and selecting appropriate costumes to reflect their character. Each co-curricular lesson, students have been working together on improving their play. The progression of all students has been outstanding!
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YEAR 5 TRANSITION VISIT TO THE SENIOR SCHOOL Last Monday we had the pleasure of hosting a visit from Year 5. Students braved the inclement weather on the day which limited some of the planned recess activities, but thankfully at lunch the sun shone and they had opportunity to make use of the Senior School grounds. Year 5 were very enthusiastic in their review of their day as ‘Senior School Students’, albeit in training. Below are some of their comments to one of the questions that were asked. Evaluation of the Day:
I liked it because there were more subjects and it was good to know where everything is. It was great preparation for High School, fun and met the teachers we don’t have at the Junior School. I liked every lesson. In Mathematics we learnt how to speed count! We did lots of fun and exciting learning activities in all the lessons and the Peer Support Leaders were very nice. We saw lots of things…the classrooms, canteen, oval and many HUGE students! It was different to what I expected… more rooms than the Primary and lots more areas to explore. The classrooms are bigger and every teacher was very kind and made their subjects interesting.
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It was good to meet new people I didn’t know and experience lots of new things It was great preparation for Year 7 and challenging…I like a challenge. The teachers are a lot stricter; there are more students and its way bigger. I learnt that you have to be more independent and responsible. At the Senior School things are much more serious and everything is much bigger and taller. That goes for the children too. The clever counting skills we learnt were great, and we can apply them to our work at Junior School. It was also good to learn what damage plastic is doing to our world and how bad it is for birds when they mistake it for food and eat it.
WHITE PEARL BALL 2018
The annual White Pearl Ball fundraiser will be held on Saturday 10th November at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and once again our Senior students have committed to volunteering on the night. During the day of the ball some will assist organizers prepare by setting up the gifts offered for the silent auction, as well as decorate tables in the ballroom. In the evening another group will have the responsibility of selling of raffle tickets for the many prizes on offer and help with the distribution of gifts won by successful auction bidders. The White Pearl Ball was established to support the dedicated researchers of The Brain Cancer Group (formerly known as The Sydney Neuro-Oncology Group (SNOG), to find solutions for brain cancer patients. The Brain Cancer Group is a collaborative team of leading brain cancer specialists. Community support and donations continue to sustain this charity. All profits donated from White Pearl Fundraiser events go directly to brain cancer research. Tickets for the ball are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.whitepearlfundraiser.org Please join us for the ball.
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Children and Common Sense Media websites have practical information for parents about a range of age appropriate multi-media products for children.
TECH TALK FRIDAY
CHOOSING FILMS AND GAMES Four tips to help you choose a movie or video game for kids Movies and video games can be fun and entertaining. Only you can decide what is best for your child. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner has put together some practical tips to help parents make informed decisions about the family’s entertainment choices.
Ms G. Kokinelis Dean of Middle School
1. Check the age recommendation for the movie or video game. If it is higher than your child’s actual age, it may not be suitable. 2. Check the content – what does the advisory information state about the movie or game’s content? Does it contain strong language, violence or sexual references? Will you be comfortable exposing your child to this type of material? 3. Look up the Classification Board decision about the movie or game you are thinking of watching or playing. Access the public database here: http://www.classification.gov.au/Pages/Search.a spx 4. Read reviews to see what other parents, experts and users are saying about a particular movie or video game. Reviews often contain summaries of storylines and game content including warnings about inappropriate material. We have collected some advisory and review websites that you may find useful. For example, the Raising
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PREFECT PROFILE Name: Briannon Walker. Age: 17. Number of years at St Spyridon College: 6 years Previous Leadership Roles: Peer Support Leader (Year 10), Primary School Leader (Year 6). Subjects I am currently studying: English Advanced, Modern History, History Extension, Biology, Food Technology, Visual Art. Hobbies: Swimming, art, and hanging out with friends and family. My Future Aspirations: Studying politics and international relations at university and travelling. My role models: Parents and teachers. Favourite quote: “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”- Kalu Ndukwe Kalu My proudest moment: Finally winning our ISA Netball final. One student principle that is most meaningful to me and why: Student Principle 9: “We respond to the difficulties of life with patience, dignity and faith, never fearing to start again.” In life we all undergo challenges and difficulties, but it is with patience, dignity and faith that we do not fear to start again. Everyone deals with obstacles during their lifetime, and over the course of my rather short life, I feel as if I have been pushed to my limits numerous times. Without patience, faith and perseverance, and the great support system of my family and friends, it may not have been possible to be where I am today.
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PREFECT PROFILE Name: Victoria Tzavaras Number of years at St Spyridon College: 6 years. Previous leadership roles: Vice Captain in Year 6; Year 10 peer support leader; represented St Spyridon College at the parish trip to Greece; took part in the musical in 2013 (Year 7); regular attendance at 25th of March celebrations; regular OXI Day attendance; Anzac Day memorial service at Maroubra RSL Club; Soup Kitchen; nursing home visits; regular attendance at swimming and athletics carnivals; took part in the Doxology choir in year 8 and 11; regular attendance at church services; chanted the Lamentations at Easter in year 10; participated in girls ISA sport since year 7: 2013/14 & 2014/15 girls basketball and 2014/15/16/17 girls soccer. Subjects I am currently studying: English (Advanced); Mathematics (2 unit); Business Studies; P.D.H.P.E; Ancient History; History Extension. Hobbies: Listening to music, Exercising, Dancing, going out with family and friends, going to the beach. My future aspirations: Achieve an ATAR above 90, continue my education at university in a desired course, travel around the world with my family and friends, gain a secure job in order to make a living for myself. My role models: Mum, Dad, and Sister; HSC high achievers; Teachers. Favourite quote: “Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.” My proudest moment: My proudest moment was at the end of last year at the academic assembly when my parents were able to witness my achievements of placing top three in a few of my subjects, as well as achieving contribution to sport and prefect of 2018. It was a great moment to witness their smiles of pride on their face, as it made me feel like the times of hard work at school were worth it and that I succeeded. It was also great that I could share such feelings with my fellow colleagues, making me genuinely happy that they were living in this moment with me. One Student Principle that is most meaningful to me and why: Student Principle 9:“We respond to the difficulties of life with patience, dignity and faith, never fearing to start again.” This school principle is one in which is the most valued to me. School is a place where challenges and difficulties are faced to the point where you feel like giving up. However, for what any reason, I believe that in all difficulties, if you have a positive mindset, then it can be overcome. I was an outsider coming into the high school with not one person I knew, however, the moment I experienced that the people within the school gates are not only friends, but family too, it made me realise that I was starting a new chapter with amazing people. Additionally, being a year 12 student this year means that it is inevitably going to be one of the most difficult years of my life. However, I believe that making it a goal rather than a difficulty will allow myself to excel in my studies and come become one of the happiest people. Therefore, no matter what difficulties are faced in life, there should be no fear of them because they can allow us to become stronger and better people. 22
GREEK COLUMN Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι, Στην έκδοση αυτή θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με δυο γραπτά της ίδιας μαθήτριας σχετικά με τα ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια και το τηλέφωνο στη ζωή μας. Και οι δυο εργασίες συνδέονται με την ενότητα «Διασκέδαση» την οποία συμπληρώσαμε στη διάρκεια της τρίτης σχολικής περιόδου για τους μαθητές της Γ΄ Λυκείου εφόσον η πρώτη περίοδος άρχισε γι’αυτούς από πέρυσι. Καλή ανάγνωση κα Μ. Φαλέτα Θέμα: Πιστεύεις πως τα ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια είναι ψυχαγωγία ή καταστροφή; Προσωπικά, πιστεύω ότι τα ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια είναι καταστροφή για τις νέες γενιές. Οι νέοι κάθονται απομονωμένοι μέσα στα δωμάτιά τους χρησιμοποιώντας τα ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια για ώρες χωρίς καμιά διακοπή. Αυτό προκαλεί ζημιά τόσο στη σωματική όσο και στην ψυχική τους υγεία. Πρώτ’απ’όλα δεν κινούνται για μεγάλα χρονικά διαστήματα κι αυτό προκαλεί βλάβη στην καρδιαγγειακή υγεία τους. Οδηγεί σε αύξηση του σωματικού βάρους, η οποία μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε πιο σοβαρές καταστάσεις, δηλαδή σε ασθένειες όπως ο διαβήτης. Επίσης, οι πολλές ώρες μπροστά στην οθόνη του υπολογιστή προκαλούν ζημιά στα μάτια. Επιπλέον, οι νέοι που επιδίδονται στα παιχνίδια αυτά αποκτούν κακές συνήθειες. Παραμελούν την σχολική εργασία τους, αλλά και την επικοινωνία με τα υπόλοιπα μέλη της οικογένειάς τους. Ψυχολογικά, είναι επίσης επιζήμια τα παιχνίδια αυτά επειδή δεν προωθούν την «καλή» διασκέδαση με φίλους και την οικογένεια όπως να πάνε μαζί ως παρέα στον κινηματογράφο να δουν ένα έργο και μετά να συζητήσουν γι’αυτό, ή στην παραλία ή πικνίκ σε ένα πάρκο, να φάνε μαζί, να παίξουν μαζί, να αναπνεύσουν καθαρό αέρα και να ασκηθούν λιγάκι. Πρέπει επίσης να αναφέρουμε ότι πολλά από τα ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια είναι παιχνίδια βίας. Τα παιδιά και οι νέοι, μέσω των παιχνιδιών αυτών, εξοικειώνονται τόσο πολύ με την βία,
που χάνουν την ευαισθησία τους και σιγά – σιγά μπορεί να γίνουν αδιάφοροι προς τη βία πολίτες ή βίαιοι οι ίδιοι. Τελικά, κατά την ταπεινή μου άποψη, η καθιστική ζωή των ηλεκτρονικών παιχνιδιών είναι ανθυγιεινή και γι’αυτό καταστροφική. Θέμα: Το τηλέφωνο είναι ένα απαραίτητο εργαλείο στη ζωή μας: Συμφωνείς ή διαφωνείς; Συμφωνώ ότι το τηλέφωνο είναι πραγματικά ένα απαραίτητο εργαλείο για όλους μας. Είναι απαραίτητο σε περιπτώσεις έκτακτης ανάγκης και μπορεί να σώσει ζωές. Οι Υπηρεσίες που βοηθούν σε επείγοντα περιστατικά καλούνται εύκολα και φτάνουν σχεδόν αμέσως σε σύγκριση με τα χρόνια που δεν υπήρχαν σταθερά και κινητά τηλέφωνα. Επίσης το κινητό τηλέφωνο είναι ιδιαίτερα απαραίτητο επειδή αποτελεί προσωπική ασφάλεια, αν για παράδειγμα χρειαστεί κανείς βοήθεια στο δρόμο ή οπουδήποτε και αν βρίσκεται. Ας μην ξεχνάμε ότι τα σύγχρονα κινητά τηλέφωνα είναι και υπολογιστές. Μπορείτε να στείλετε μηνύματα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου, να χρησιμοποιήσετε το διαδίκτυο, μπορείτε να τηλεφωνήσετε στο εξωτερικό και να μιλήσετε πρόσωπο με πρόσωπο με ανθρώπους οπουδήποτε στον κόσμο. Μπορείτε να χρησιμοποιείτε το κινητό σας ως φωτογραφική μηχανή και να αποθηκεύετε τις φωτογραφίες σας. Μπορείτε να κάνετε λογαριασμούς, να το χρησιμοποιείτε ως χάρτη στα ταξίδια σας ακόμη και να εργάζεστε κατά τη διάρκεια του ταξιδιού σας. Σκοπός της τεχνολογίας είναι η βελτίωση του βιοτικού μας επιπέδου, η άνεση και η ευκολία στην καθημερινή μας ζωή και πιστεύω πως τόσο το σταθερό όσο και το κινητό τηλέφωνο συμβάλλουν πολύ στην βελτίωση της καθημερινότητάς μας. Stella Ktenas Year 11 (Modern Greek Year 12)
SPORTS COLUMN GIRLS SPORTS ISA NETBALL Congratulations to the following teams who have qualified for the ISA Semi Finals:
Junior C Netball vs St Andrews Cathedral School @ 10.30am
Junior D3 Netball College @ 9.15am
Open C Netball vs Barker @1pm
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Chevalier ISA GIRLS FOOTBALL
The girls will play at the Genea Netball Centre at Homebush. All students are to make their own way to the venue and arrive 30 minutes prior to the game time.
Open A Girls Football vs Redlands @10am at Macquarie University Junior A Girls Football vs Central Coast Grammar School @ 10am at Central Coast Grammar School
There will be buses provided for girl’s football.
As we approach the Semi Finals and Finals we encourage all parents to come along and support the girls. Please be mindful of the ISA Code of Conduct when supporting and encouraging our students. Please take the time 24
to read the ISA Code of Conduct (Guideline for Spectators) on the “Boys Sports” section that follows. Good luck to all teams. Ms K. O’Shea Girls Sports BOYS SPORTS BOYS ISA FOOTBALL SEMI FINALS 2018 It has been a very competitive season of football with all the boys’ teams performing admirably throughout the year. With home and away fixtures now completed, it is now clear that the College has 5 boys’ teams that have qualified for this year’s semi finals. This is a wonderful achievement for the football boys as they are competing in the Division 1 competition in the ISA. Congratulations to the U14 A , U15 A, U16 , 2nd XI and First XI boys football teams for progressing to this year’s play offs.
I take this opportunity to commend and acknowledge all the boys teams for their commitment and perseverance throughout the year. I also acknowledge the coaches and staff for their support of the teams in their sporting endeavours. The opportunity to represent the College in school sport is a privilege and while students are commended for their accomplishments, I am constantly reminding all the students to remember that it is not about winning but how you play the game. The spirit and integrity with which the game is played is paramount to the lifelong lessons we aspire to teach our students. This end goal of learning to be the ‘best you can be’ is a message that resonates in all the College Community and one that we expect to see on the playing fields on the weekend. With this in mind we acknowledge that these school sporting events are definitely memorable for the students, and we at the College take the time to remind all the boys about their responsibility in upholding the schools code of conduct and student principles, as well as the ISA code of conduct for players. 25
- Adults must remember that games at school level are organized for the benefits of the students concerned and not for adults.
I encourage all families to attend the semi final fixtures to watch the boys play in the elimination games. The semi finals are hosted by the higher placed school in their respective finishing positions. The schedule will be forwarded through the regular weekly parent email correspondence and the team app.
- Visitors to grounds should co-operate fully with any regulations or requests made by the home school concerning car parking, seating, dressing rooms and the placing of spectators. At all times visitors should leave the area tidy and free of rubbish when they leave.
I also take this opportunity to remind all families in attendance that it is expected that the ISA code of conduct is accepted and adhered to by all who attend. I have taken the liberty of including the code of conduct below and do expect that the St Spyridon Community will embrace, support and encourage all the students to foster not only a supportive sporting environment but importantly to promote good sportsmanship among our students and this is always best fostered with modeling good behavior from the sideline.
- Adults, parents, students and others are expected to set an example by their selfcontrol and deportment at matches. - Normally alcohol should not be consumed at ISA fixtures. Upcoming sports events:
I look forward to seeing all the teams perform well on the weekend. Good luck.
GUIDELINES FOR SPECTATORS
- Barracking should be enthusiastic and positive, but not designed to heckle, denigrate or unsettle opponents. For example, barracking during a free throw or a kick at goal and so forth is always bad sportsmanship. Similarly, sledging in cricket is totally unacceptable. Barracking should be for the School only. Negative comments are totally unacceptable.
Winter sports finals Saturday 25th August 2018 @Oakhill College Invitational Athletics Carnival 1st September @ES Marks Athletics track and Field complex ISA Athletics Carnival Tuesday 11th September 2018 @ Sydney Olympic Park Boys ISA Basketball Trials begin this week and will continue until all teams have been finalised.
Mr F. Kaldis Boys Sports
- Good play by either team should be recognized by applause. - It is never right to express disapproval of a referee or umpire’s decision, irrespective of his/her age. - Vocal support for any team should never encourage violence or rough or illegal play. - Coaching by spectators from the sideline is to be actively discouraged by the official present and encroaching on the field of play is totally unacceptable and must be dealt with by the officials immediately
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Parents and Friends Committee 2018 We are pleased to invite you to attend our annual “FATHERS DAY BREAKFAST”. All Fathers, Father figures, Grandfathers, Godfathers, Uncles and special people are welcome to attend. Date:
Tuesday 4th September, 2018
Time:
8.15am 8.20am 8.35am 10.30am
Where: Donation:
Welcome & Arrival in St Spyridon Church Blessing Service in St Spyridon Church Breakfast served Event closed
St Spyridon Church and School Hall Adults: $25.00 Children: $15.00
The buffet breakfast will include hot food, pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, tea or juice. The Fathers’ Day Raffle will be drawn during this event, with great prizes available. Tickets can also be bought on the day to support our fundraising event. Proceeds from this event will help to raise funds towards our P&F priorities of the infant’s playground, sports program and performing arts program. To RSVP, please return the slip below together with the correct moneys, in an envelope marked with your family name, to the school office, by Wednesday 29th August. We look forward to welcoming you to this wonderful event in honour of all father figures in our Community. St Spyridon College Parents & Friends Committee 2018 ______________________________________________________ I/we will be attending the Fathers’ Day Breakfast on Tuesday 4th September 2018. Total Number of Adults ____________________ Total Number of Children ____________________ Adult Name(s) in attendance __________________________________________________________ Children’s Name(s)/Class_______________________________________________________________ Total Money Enclosed $ __________________________ Special Dietary Requirements ________________________________________________________
It’s all about building young lives. 28
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