VOLUME XXXV Nº 17 23rd November 2018
FROM THE HEAD OF COLLEGE The Gift of Christmas The Junior School Showcase of 2018 was indeed a “Gift of Christmas” for the 800 people who filled the SPACe. Parents, grandparents, godparents, family and friends, together with Father Steven, Father Sotiri, Dr Savoulis Parish President and other members of the Board, Mrs Katsogiannis Principal of the Senior School and Deputy Head of College were treated to a spectacular bilingual production, full of colour, music, dance and feel-good performances. Miss Bletsogiannis’ script began with a family scene, with yiayia and pappou and their two grandchildren, preparing for Christmas. The Infants students then delighted us with their confident and bright singing and dancing. As the Primary students took the stage, the mood changed to a more contemplative one. Yiayia promises to tell the children the true story of Christmas-beyond presents and parties. We were then taken on the journey to Bethlehem and the story of the birth of Jesus unfolded before us. The singing was harmonious, the choreography and execution of the dances excellent, as was the acting. The students’ inner goodness imbued every act with such a feeling of unalloyed joy and innocence, that we all left the SPACe feeling fresh, happy and peaceful-and ready to receive Christ in our hearts for Christmas. In her closing remarks and vote of thanks Mrs Synesios acknowledged the parents for their invaluable support with all our endeavours. She commended Mr Dookie, Acting Principal of the Junior School; the Production Director Miss Bletsogiannis; Mrs Coyne Musical Director; Mrs Diavatiotis and Mrs Alaydrus Choreographers; Mrs Economou Technical Director; all Junior School teachers who among many other things impressively managed to get 350 students on and off the stage with such swift efficiency. She also thanked Mr Zafiropoulos SPACe Centre Manager for his hard work and hospitality for this major event and the Parents and Friends who provided refreshments. She also told us that we now look forward to next year’s production and wished everyone involved strength to “do it all again”. Congratulations to everyone.
Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag
“THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS” – PHOTO GALLERY
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K-12 NEWS DATES TO REMEMBER
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND STUDENT LEADERSHIP ASSEMBLY Years 3-12
NOVEMBER Year 4 depart for Camp
26th
Year 3 depart for Camp
27th
Years 3 & 4 return from Camp Years 5 & 6 depart for Camp Divine Liturgy SS
28th
Years 5 & 6 return from Camp Reports to Parents
30th
29th
DECEMBER JS Parent/ Teacher Interviews K-3 & 5
3rd
Year 6 Graduation Dinner
4th
JS Parent/ Teacher Interviews K-4 & 6
6th
Term ends for students Academic Excellence and Student Leadership Assembly Years 3-12 St Spyridon Day
11th
12th
DEEPEST SYMPATHY
On Tuesday, 11th December, 2018 we will be rewarding students for their academic achievements as well as announcing the Student Leaders for 2019. This special assembly will take place in the Sports and Performing Arts Centre and will start promptly at 9:45am and end at approximately 11:30am. K-2 are to arrive at the Junior School at normal time. Parents to collect Infants children by 12:00pm. Please note: There is no After School Care or Canteen on this day. Students receiving awards will be notified beforehand.
Our sincere condolences to Mrs Georgiou, Elise (Year 9) and Christopher on the passing of their beloved husband and father, Mr Georgiou.
Senior students are to arrive at School and assemble in the courtyard no later than 8:45am. All students are to wear summer uniform and blazer.
May his memory be eternal. CONGRATULATIONS
All parents and family are encouraged to attend. Please be seated by 9:30am.
Congratulations to Mrs E. Hatzopoulos and her husband on the birth of their first child Amaria, born on Monday, 19th November.
Students will be dismissed at the end of the Assembly for the year. Please note all students need to remain for the entire Assembly.
May Christ bless her family with good health and long life.
UNIFORM SHOP DATES FOR BACK PURCHASES 2019
TO
SCHOOL
Wednesday 23rd January, 2019 - 9.00am-4.00pm Tuesday 29th January, 2019 - 9.00am-4.00pm Wednesday 30th January, 2019 - 8.30-10am & 2.30-4.00pm Orders by Email now available Orders can now be made by email through SpySchool. Please download form from Parent portal through SpySchool. 8
Complete the order form and email to: spyschool@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au All orders will be collected from the Admin 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. Exchanges Exchanges will only be permitted at the Uniform Shop. SCHOLARSHIPS REMINDER Applications are now invited from new and continuing students to sit for the following ACER Examination Scholarship: Year 6 (Year 7, 2020) A Year 6 Scholarship for the top Year 6 student applying for St Spyridon College will receive their tuition fees paid for four years from Year 7 to Year 10. Year 10 (Year 11, 2020) Two scholarships for the two top Year 10 students will receive their tuition fees paid for two years. Closing date for applications is Monday, 4th February, 2019. ACER scholarship examinations will be held on Saturday, 23rd February, 2019. You may register now online: www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au: follow the links to ACER Online Scholarship Application.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT We thank all the parents that donated to the Farmers Appeal. Amount raised was $750. If you still wish to make a donation you may do so by handing in your cash donation inside a sealed envelope, name is optional, every dollar donated will be deposited direct into the Farmers Appeal account, on Friday 30th November.
I wish to thank all the teachers for rehearsing with their classes and preparing them for the evening.
JUNIOR SCHOOL SHOWCASE
CONGRATULATIONS SPYRIDOULA KARAGIORGOU - YEAR 5
Congratulations to all staff and students for a fun filled and entertaining night. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.
Our Junior School students once again entertained us with great enthusiasm at our Junior School Showcase which was held on Wednesday 21st November. The SPACe was filled with excited families and friends who came to see their children perform at our end of year concert. We thank you all for attending and hope you enjoyed the performance as much as the students enjoyed performing for you. Spyridoula Karagiorgou of Year 5 received a Highly Commended Award as part of the 2018 Minister's Awards for Excellence in Student Achievement Community Languages Schools. This is a remarkable achievement and reflects Spyridoula’s commitment to the study of Polish. The Presentation Ceremony was held on Monday 29th October 2018 at the Sir John Clancy Auditorium, University of NSW, Kensington. We congratulate Spyridoula on this outstanding achievement. CERTIFICATE OF ATTAINMENT IN THE GREEK LANGUAGE Πιστοποιητικό Γλωσσομάθειας Ελληνική Γλώσσα
στην
We would like to congratulate the following Year 5 & 6 students of St Spyridon College who were awarded the Certificate of Attainment in the Greek Language after sitting the examinations in May. The examinations are run worldwide under the auspices of the Centre for the Greek Language 10
of the Hellenic Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.
As parents it is our responsibility to help our children navigate the world of social media and we can begin with a few basics such as:
We are very proud of our Year 6 students: Bizannes Alexandra, Constantinidis Sarah, Dalessis Andrew, Drakakis Angelique, Durrant Holly, Georgiou Andrew, Kasmas Dimitra, Kirkis Chrysa, Koutoulogenis Isabella, Lane Sophia, Paraschos Christos, Stathos Victoria;
And of our Year 5 students: Baroutis Peter, Bieri Christof, Constantinou Curtis, Dimitrakopoulos Akis, Drakakis Chrissy, Drivas Vaia, Karagiorgou Spyridoula, Mangafas Peter, Mastroperos Angelo, Sartzetakis Mariah, Skouteris Franklin.
Educate yourself as a social media user Start a dialogue with your child regarding safe usage Set basic internet usage rules Manage screen time
Here are some sites to help guide us in this ever evolving tech world: www.safety.gov.au www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/gamesapps-and-social-networking https://raisingchildren.net.au/ https://www.internetsafeeducation.com/ NB. Remain up to date via the Middle School Report in the school newsletter YEAR 5 AND YEAR 6 SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY INITIATIVE
St. Spyridon College acknowledges our successful students who were awarded the Certificate of Attainment in the Greek Language.
Students in Stage 3 are currently investigating and developing their critical thinking skills about safety when using Social Media. In today’s global society, we acknowledge that Social Media is part of how we live, so it is very important to engage students from a young age in learning about and how to use it in a safe and positive way. The current units aim to inform students to help them to make good judgements to keep themselves safe on the internet.
Mrs A. Gambierakis Coordinator of Modern Greek Junior School
In the Year 6 unit titled M3: Me and My Media, students have focussed on:
KEEPING UP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA: A timely reminder for the holidays
1. Safety and Social Media:
Συγχαρητήρια και εις ανώτερα
As the holidays are fast approaching it is a great time to re-examine our connections with the online world. According to www.safety.gov.au 96% of 10-14 year olds are using social media, and as parents it is our responsibility to ensure they are using it safely.
Social media such as Instagram, Snapchat, Musical.ly, and Facebook, provide a platform to connect with friends and organise social calendars when used safely. When misused they can become a source of bullying and distress.
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Personal information sharing, confidentiality of personal details and identity theft. User agreements (in particular, the basic terms and conditions for Instagram). Screen addiction. The need to establish a balance in using technology and doing other activities Defining and beating: Anxiety, cyberbullying and internet trolling. Understanding self- image and self-esteem.
M3: Me and My Media Year 6 Unit Review
You are digitally texting someone, and you can be completely anonymous… You have no face as a cyber bully.
As the year comes to a close, students are fully engaged in important multidisciplinary work to develop their safe and informed use of Social Media platforms. Interestingly, to begin the unit of work, students could say that Social Media is used for communicating with others far and near, to build relationships, and to gain knowledge, but did not realise that Social Media is used for learning and educational knowledge sharing e.g. to find a solution to an assignment. Therefore time has been spent consolidating the last point, and students have realised that Google Classroom, ClickView, Mathletics and Scootle for example all fall into the technology platforms that are Social Media.
– Aki Dimitrakopoulos – 5I It is a nasty public way of bullying. – Chrissy Drakakis – 5I Why do you think that some people that bully online would never do it face-to-face? I think that people wouldn’t do it face-face as they are scared of the consequences, but they don’t think of that online. - Christof Bieri – 5I
So far, the program has been very rewarding to teach and facilitate, and highly educational for students. The integration of varied technology platforms has assisted to engage, gain knowledge and facilitate critical thinking skills for group work to consolidate learning and attainment of key values, knowledge and concepts, and skills for safe Social Media use. Students have been quite open when asked to offer definitions, and share experiences and ideas regarding anxiety, cyberbullying, and the need to share genuine ideas and images that reflect their value and self-worth. Students are motivated to produce quality videos that teach their classmates about an aspect of Safe Social Media use.
The bully might not ever say it to the persons face because of the fear of getting into trouble; they probably don’t have the guts to say it to their face.
Staff of the Junior School Middle School Program look forward to teaching a similar course next year.
- Themi Papadakis – 5I
- Mariah Sartszetakis – 5I They feel more powerful when hiding behind their device. – Curtis Constantinou – 5I What do you think it means to be a responsible cyber citizen? Don’t bully, don’t use technology to bully anyone.
A person who doesn’t want to use social media for negative purposes.
Ms D. McCarthy Primary Coordinator Junior School LISTENING STUDENTS
TO
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STAGE
- Spyridoula Karagiorgiou – 5I If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say (or type) anything at all.
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– Nicola Lisgaris – 5I
How is cyber bullying different from face to face bullying?
What is Social Media? What are the main positives and negatives for Social Media users?
You don’t get to see the response of the victim, you are away so you don’t know the result of your words.
Social Media can help kids for educational purposes, allowing them to discover interesting
- Sophia Paparsenos - 5I 12
knowledge. Other positives include; providing a way to stay connected in relationships with each other, build new relationships to find solutions to projects, or establish new friendships.
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
- Andrew Georgiou – 6P Social Media is a way kids can interact with peers and teachers to get work done, or to help build relationships between students. It helps them gather information quickly. Although it is true that Social Media can be dangerous, as it causes distractions and can waste precious time.
Christmas Carols will be held in the Junior School courtyard on Monday 10th December after morning assembly at 8:30am.
- Alexandros Pambris – 6P Social Media is a series of different types of Apps, which people can post photos or ask questions on of others. Using different Apps requires us to agree to particular terms and conditions, and it is important to know what these are to protect our personal details and identity.
All welcome to join in singing our favourite Christmas Carols. All students may wear Christmas colours on this day. Mr A. Dookie Acting Principal Junior School
- Ioanna Panayi – 6M Social Media can have many benefits; connecting people all around the world, and the kindle of new relationships, yet there are some disadvantages to using it. These include; identity theft, posts that can hurt you emotionally, posts that can affect you later in life, and awareness that any posts cannot be fully deleted from the internet. - Chloe Kristallis – 6M Social Media can improve student learning and build new relationships. It can have positive influences such as learn new facts, advertising for a community cause, get expert help with a project, or inspire new ideas. The negative traits of Social Media include influencing a negative self-image and self-esteem, addiction to technology platforms like messenger rather than using face-to-face communication skills and this can affect your ability to make and keep friends, and some physical problems like bad posture or eye strain. Furthermore, ads do influence our choices, and sometimes our choices are incorrect when we look back upon them. - Jenna Perdikakis - 6M 13
SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT PREPARING FOR THE PRELIMINARY AND HSC COURSE 2019/2020 FOUNDATION COURSE Monday, 26th November – Friday, 7th December, 2018 The program is designed for the Year 10 students who will be continuing their studies at St Spyridon College for Years 11 and 12. Students will attend workshops on managing the NESA paperwork, study skills, the literacy demands of the HSC, spiritual enlightenment and good works in the community, first aid and global connections. They will visit Holy Cross Monastery at Mangrove Mountain, the UNSW and St Basil’s Nursing Home. Students will be introduced to their subjects for Year 11 and receive guidelines about their Year 11 Assessment.
different school each time. Our students were placed 3rd in this round. · Contest 3 (The Relay): each school is given 20 questions for Year 7 and 20 different questions for Year 8. Year 7 and 8 are given their first question at the same time, however Year 7 need to answer first in order to receive their question 2. Only then can Year 8 receive their question 2 and so on… They had one hour for this contest in which our students were placed 2nd in this round. It was a challenging and very exciting day for the four students who overall were placed 4th out of 24 schools!!! A fantastic effort and brilliant result by the whole team! Congratulations to Gabriella, Nektarios, Alex and Haoyu for their effort preparing for this tournament and on their outstanding performance on the day.
HICES MATHEMATICS TOURNAMENT On Tuesday 13th November, four very enthusiastic students headed off to the Blue Mountains where Blue Mountains Grammar School was hosting the annual HICES Mathematics Tournament. The day involved 24 schools who had to bring two Year 7’s and two Year 8’s. The St Spyridon College team included: Nektarios Kollias (Year 7), Gabriella Guerrera (Year 7), Alex Stamoulis (Year 8) and Haoyu Chen (Year 8). The tournament consisted of three main rounds of challenging questions and three mingling group contests with no calculators allowed throughout the whole day: · Contest 1 (The Group Contest): each school had 25 problem solving questions to solve in 45 minutes. These questions were worked on as a group and as a result, the 4 students placed 6th in this round. · Contest 2 (The Swiss Contest): a battle between two schools where students are shown a table of values for all values of x and only four values for y. Students needed to calculate the rest of the values of y by finding the rule. This consisted of 10 rounds which were played with a
Ms F. Kilias Mathematics Teacher
YEAR 11 GEOGRAPHY EXCURSION On Thursday 15th November, the Year 11 Geography class went on a fieldtrip to Avalon Beach Coastal Sand Dunes and Careel Bay Wetlands, as part of their topic ‘Ecosystems at Risk’. The students, accompanied by Miss Vardas, participated in a range of fieldwork techniques to investigate biophysical interactions of both environments, which create these ecosystems. The excursion allowed students to use equipment in order to measure wind strength, wind direction and soil moisture at both locations. Students investigated the variations in vegetation that grow in different sections of the ecosystems. Finally, students identified how these ecosystems are at ‘risk’ due to natural and human-induced modifications. The fieldtrip experience was outstanding and further enhanced student’s knowledge on the topic. The students are to be commended for their enthusiastic participation on the day.
Ms S. Vardas Geography Teacher 15
allow the process of photosynthesis to begin. The sunlight is trapped through a green pigment in the leaves called chlorophyll. This is converted into energy, to help create glucose; a simple sugar, which acts as a major nutrient source to the plant. Additionally, plants require carbon dioxide gas, which is taken in through the plant’s leaves. Plants also obtain nutrients from the soil through their root system.
YEAR 7 TERRARIUM ASSESSMENT Unlike usual assessments, the Year 7 Science task for term three was to develop and create our very own closed terrarium; a transparent enclosure that houses plants. We got to discover the intricate details of plants and how they survive in sealed environments for decades. It was a very engaging and fun way to be assessed on our Habitats and Interactions topic.
Water, a key element to life is an essential component to ensure the survival of plants. It is vital that the amount of water used is suitable for the chosen plants and size of the terrarium. The reason for this is that terrariums create their own water cycle, essential to ensure that it continues to flourish.
Terrariums are unique habitats that are designed to match the photosynthetic process that plants need to survive and thrive. They are independent and need little care and maintenance to continue thriving in the future. They are perfect to demonstrate how plants in ecosystems work in a small confined capsule.
Our terrariums were created using structured layers including sand and pebbles for drainage, charcoal for purification, soil to hold nutrients and the roots of the plants and finally the plants and moss themselves at the top. This was housed in a reused container, which is important as our next topic is on Earth’s Resources and how we as humans can do better to protect and conserve our planet. We enjoyed this hands-on process as it allowed us to be creative and discover our inner horticulturist. This experience has allowed us to observe how the biotic and abiotic features within an ecosystem interact with each other to keep them thrive and be functional. As students, we plan to continue to nurture our terrariums by positioning them in a safe, suitable place, where it is away from harm and out of direct sunlight.
While researching, we identified the biological requirements of a plant. Sunlight is critical to 16
We also plan to frequently monitor our terrarium, to ensure our plants are healthy, and receiving the correct amount of water and sunlight. This is not only an assignment, but a long-term decorative feature to add to any space in your home. These terrariums can act as a calming alternative instead of looking at the harsh screens of our mobile phones. We extremely enjoyed this project, and encourage everyone to make their very own terrariums too! Gabriella Guerrera, Sophia Karatasos & Sienna Tsoukalas Dr J. McPhee Science Teacher
Year 7 Science 1 with their terrariums
Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School Deputy Head of College
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MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORT Thank You to all the students who assisted at the Ball. Afternoon Shift: Leo Gouskos Nikolija Jovanovic Mark Grillakis Fereniki Ghelis Jade Capitanelis Chris Vlahos George Bozikis Bill Avdalis Stella Ktenas Sophie Ioannidis William Georgas
WHITE PEARL BALL Fundraiser for Brain Cancer Group
Evening Shift: Tiffany Tsoukalas Christina Vlahos Eleni Preketes Ephemia Damianos Marie Vasilakis Roula Nicholos Katherine Raptis Cleo Mihail Alexandra Stamios
On Saturday 10th November, 20 of our Year 11 Prefect applicants assisted at the annual White Pearl Ball that was held in the Maritime Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the city. As mentioned in previous newsletters our fundraising efforts for Brain Cancer research and involvement at this event stem from the sad fact that past members of our school and community have been affected by this disease. The work done by the Brain Cancer Group in raising awareness, providing support to patients, and raising funds for research are especially vital. We thank Mrs Suzane Peponis-Brisimis (Director of The Brain Cancer Group from Care2Cure and founder of the White Pearl Ball), for the opportunity to involve our College in this worthy cause. Our students worked in two shifts. Those who came from 1pm until 5pm had the responsibility of setting up tables with magazines, pens, donation slips and decorative balloons, as well as prepare table prizes and items on offer for the silent auction. At 5pm the next shift of students arrived in uniform to sell raffle tickets throughout the evening to guests and assist with the allocation of auction prizes. It was a wonderful evening in which we heard about the current research work being undertaken and some of the moving stories of those who have been affected.
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that will hopefully one day find a cure for brain cancer. Working from 5pm until midnight (the duration of the ball) gave my fellow peers and I not only the opportunity to feel honoured to be helping out with such a worthy charity event, but it also enabled us to enhance our teamwork and communication skills, plus we came to understand and appreciate more deeply the reasons why all the guests came to support this event. Hearing from affected families evoked feelings of compassion, empathy and gratitude amongst all of us. The sad stories of young people who had passed away due to brain cancer were very moving. As this was the first event that I have ever worked at as a volunteer, I feel that it personally opened my eyes to the hardships and pain that other people are going through. It also made me reflect on the things that I may take for granted in my life and understand that whatever problems I may be going through, if I keep the inspiring stories of the cancer patients’ families in mind – never giving up and continuing to maintain hope – it will to help me to also keep persevering through my smaller problems. The Day Shift By Jade Capitanelis – Year 11 Those of us who attended the day session found it to be busy and chaotic as everyone was determined to ensure that everything was done perfectly in hopes of raising as much money as possible for the researchers. This meant that most things had to be done more than once, especially the dining tables!!! We spent a few hour of the day readjusting settings as our instructions changed. While this was frustrating and tiring at times, we all knew it was for a good cause and we were happy that we were able to help out in some way. Another important role that we had was setting up the prizes for the raffle tickets and silent auction. It took a huge team effort as there were lots of tasks to be done, made more complex by the time constraints. Everyone worked together sorting through boxes identifying gifts, matching them to their number and then arranging them appealingly on the tables. By the end of the day, even though we were exhausted, everyone had a great experience
STUDENTS VOICE The White Pearl Ball By Ephemia Damianos - Year 11 On Saturday the 10th of November, eight other Year 11 students and I had the opportunity to attend the White Pearl Ball Fundraiser for brain cancer research, working as volunteers and representing our school with pride at this important event. Our jobs were mainly to assist by selling tickets, handing out prizes and greeting the honoured guests who made generous donations and purchased many tickets to help fund the technology needed in the research facility at Royal North Shore Hospital
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setting up the ball and felt very positive about contributing to this important charity in a practical way.
an important and emotional experience; as not only did it cause us all to reflect with gratitude on the sacrifices made during wartime by countless brave men. But also, it demonstrated the astounding strength of community spirit that exists, uniting us all in solidarity.
REMEMBRANCE DAY 2018
By Stella Ktenas - Year 11 On Sunday 11th November 2018, 15 members of the SRC from across all year groups and I took part in the Remembrance Day Service at the Maroubra RSL War Memorial to mark the 100year anniversary ending of WWI. We were all honoured to take part in the march and Memorial Service that occurred on this important day. SRC’s laid a wreath on behalf of our College, and I was given the opportunity to read the poignant poem “In Flanders Fields”. Participating in this event was indeed
YEAR 7 2019 PARENT AND STUDENT FORUM Last week Year 7 2019 students and parents attended their first official information evening, aimed at providing all that is needed to prepare students for their first entry as members of the Senior School. It was great to see so many mothers and fathers accompanying their children to this event, as it highlights the importance placed on this next stage of the educational journey. The move to high school is an exciting and nerve raking time, with many new challenges and opportunities on the horizon. Having a positive attitude will go a long way towards enabling students to quickly adapt, make friends and step up to the new demands. Parents are reminded that all forms given at interview should have been returned to the Senior School Administration office and permission slips and payment for Year 7 Activity Days are due on Day 1, Thursday 31st January 2019.
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them through the first days next year. It will be beneficial if parents could ensure their children review all the material provided. Congratulations Year 7 for getting through this first challenge.
YEAR 7 2019 ORIENTATION DAY Today the 77 new Year 7 students who will form the cohort of 2019 spent their first day together having a glimpse of life at the Senior School. Students began the day with a guided tour, followed by “Getting to Know You” group work led by Year 9 Peer Support Leaders. The aim of the interactive activities was to help break the ice and encourage new friendships. After recess, students enjoyed a series of taster lessons in Geography, Technology, Greek and Outdoor Education. Following lunch, they evaluated the day, and received their ‘Passport to Senior School’. Even though some were quite apprehensive in the morning, especially those who were not from the Junior School, everyone’s faces were clearly more relaxed by the end of the day. Peer Support Leaders must be congratulated on the very fine job they did in welcoming, guiding, facilitating group activities and making Year 7’s feel welcome. Year 7 2019 were provided with a folder with activity booklets used in the days lessons and additional information to read that will assist
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HIGH RESOLVES WORKSHOP ON DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP – YEARS 8 AND 9 This term all our Years 8 and 9 participated in the Digital Citizenship module as part of the High Resolves Global Citizenship Program. The module explored the central idea that they can use digital channels to amplify messages that unite humanity, especially in in response to hatred and divisiveness.
Learning outcome results:
In the first activity, the students competed in small teams to identify the top five hashtags of 2016. Students were then introduced to the metaphor of a seesaw which can be tipped one way or the other dependent upon their online actions. Through a series of games and real life examples, our students that in order to tip the seesaw towards the right side of history they need to remember three things: (1) You matter, what you do online has an impact; (2) Everyone on the same side and the importance of persuading people to join your cause; (3) Speak up, especially for those with less power. At the end of the module, each student was asked to complete their own ‘I resolve to’ card, making a specific commitment to take a global citizenship type action in the following days or weeks.
86% of students - identified that 'Digital Citizenship' is using the internet to act in the long-term, collective interest of humanity. 67% of students - agreed that although there are many people online, their actions can still have an impact. 91% of students - Students who agreed that social change is more likely to happen when those with power speak up for those without it. 80% of students - Students agreed that attacking a person who posts a negative comment online is not the best way to respond. 92% of students - Students who agreed that feel more motivated to use the internet to make the world a better place. 96% of students - Rated the overall module as 'great' or 'good. High Resolves is a not-for-profit, non-religious, non-partisan, educational program that motivates high school students to be purposeful global citizens and to develop the mindsets and skills they need to lead their communities, and the world, to a brighter future. More details can be found at www.highresolves.org. VIDEOS FOR CHANGE FESTIVAL On Thursday 22nd November students from Year 7 Co-Curricula Drama and Year 10 Drama elective groups attended the High Resolves Videos for Change Film Festival in the city. There they viewed finalist video entries from over 250 submission made, and witnessed the award presentations to the winners whose entries were screened this week on the current affairs show ‘The Project’. Our students were 23
inspired by what they saw and heard, so hopefully next year we will have even more students enter the competition. Thank you to Mrs McCoy, Ms Vardas and Ms Kyriacou for supporting students creatively and for accompanying them to the film festival.
People all the way from Brazil even came to the event to celebrate the youth and their determination for change. Speaking of determination for change, an incredible guest speaker which some of you may know, Lisa Wilkinson Co-host of the television show “The Project”, went very deep on the topic of how the devices and networks we easily access in our everyday lives, can change the world. She claimed that young people’s love of social media can help raise greater awareness about issues around us that need to improve and how we, the youth can be mobilized in spreading these messages. This point was very relatable. Social media can be used powerfully to draw attention to certain issues in our world and society that need to change. If we the young people put more effort into having our opinions heard, by using social media to actively speak up and out, we can bring about positive change. The world is in great need for it. Overall the day was very inspiring and full of young innovators that will help light the change spark in society.
Videos for Change Festival By Lena Tsalikis - Year 10 Yesterday students across Years 7 and 10, myself included, were filled with excited anticipation as we made our way on the bus to Telstra Sydney HQ. We had been waiting for this day for months hoping to promote the videos we entered into the competition “Videos For Change”. There were many participants who used their creativity and inspiring insights to create one minute videos on a social or environmental issue they believed needed to be addressed.
We were really enthused by the end of the festival and I myself already have plenty of ideas to try out that I hope will result in us making it to the finals next year. All of us are now very much looking forward to promoting the videos for change competition next year and getting more of our St Spyridon peers involved. TECH TALK FRIDAY How to Protect Your Kid from "Fortnite" Scams Reference from Common Sense Media
The videos that made it to the finals of the competition were very emotional and moving. People came from across Australia for this film festival which was marvellous. During the festival everyone in the audience was encouraged to be very interactive with their phones. We did polls that were shown on the big screens so we could see what other people’s opinions were on various subjects. Speakers also shared some statistics about how far the videos we had created and important messages we were trying to communicate, had spread across.... well pretty much 91 countries! We also learned that the amount of people that watched the videos would fill 6 Melbourne Cricket Grounds!!! That translates to over 600,000 people who watched our videos across the world!!! That part really shocked me the most.
The popular game has become an easy way for scammers to trick kids into sharing way too much information. As you were just getting used to your kid's obsession with Fortnite, now you may also be 24
hearing them talk incessantly about V-Bucks. VBucks, are Fortnite's in-game currency. Players use them to buy the fun "skins" (characters and outfits) and "emotes" (those hilarious dances like "Flossing" and "Take the L") that kids will say they totally need to make Fortnite even cooler. For the record: You don't need V-Bucks to play Fortnite, and if you do give in and allow them, they cost real money. Also, online scammers are also taking advantage of V-Bucks. Fortnite's incredible popularity among kids has made it an easy target for rip-off artists trying to make some dishonest money while the game is popular. A recent study from online security company Zero Fox discovered more than 4,700 fake Fortnite websites, and the company sent out more than 50,000 security alerts about Fortnite scams in a single month. Kids are particularly vulnerable to requests to turn over personal information, including names and email addresses or even credit card numbers. Here's how you can spot the scam and protect your kids.
points, which helps expose the scam to more people. Plus, these links often direct users to suspicious apps and malware that can also target your kid's personal information.
YouTube video scams. Similar to link-sharing scams on social media, there are tons of YouTube videos offering free V-Bucks and more. These fake videos and accounts have millions of views and send gamers to other sketchy sites.
Fake Android apps. After Epic Games made the controversial decision not to offer their Android app in the Google Play Store, scammers took advantage by putting up fake Fortnite apps. Although they're designed to look like Fortnite, they're really data theft and malware distributors in disguise. Tips to avoid getting scammed Talk to your kids about how to spot and avoid Fortnite scams and other scams online. Here are some tips to keep your kid's information private and your money safe:
What to watch out for:
V-Bucks generators. "V-Bucks generators" are one of the biggest online Fortnite scams. These are often websites that offer people points for watching or clicking on ads, and these points can supposedly be traded in for free V-Bucks within Fortnite. Not only do these free V-Bucks never appear, these sites often try to collect people's Fortnite usernames and passwords or have them take surveys where they submit personal data under the pretense of verifying that they're human.
Fake domains. Similar to V-Bucks generators, there are also numerous sites that offer free VBucks or trick people into buying fake ones. These fake domains mimic developer Epic Games' and Fortnite's real styles, colours, and fonts to fool people. Some even put "Fortnite" in the URL. These sites also collect personal information, but they often go a step further in directly charging a credit card or bank account.
Social media scams. One of the most popular ways that scams are spread is through social media. Fake sites and V-Bucks generators often encourage people to share their links to get more
Be cautious when you give out private information. Tell kids to check with you before filling out forms, quizzes, registration pages, and the like on a website or app. For older kids, teach them to think carefully about why a site or app might want your data. Only spend real money through official platforms. PlayStation, Xbox, Epic Games' official website, and the official Fortnite app are the only places to buy V-Bucks. Anything else is a scam. Double-check URLs and domain names. Talk to kids about scams and how some sites or apps look very similar to the official ones but are designed to trick you into giving up money or information. Domain names and URLs might have only one letter or symbol that's different from the original, so look carefully.
Ms G. Kokinelis Dean of Middle School
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GREEK COLUMN Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι,
με δάγκωσαν! Αμέσως πέταξα τις μπανάνες σε μια γωνιά του κλουβιού και γρήγορα έτρεξα έξω. Δεν γινόταν αλλιώς, είχα τρομάξει τόσο πολύ που ήμουν έτοιμος να παραιτηθώ. Αλλά, συνέχισα γιατί σκεφτόμουν πόσο πια χειρότερη μπορούσε να γίνει η μέρα μου;;;
Στην έκδοση αυτή, θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με το γραπτό μαθητή της Γ΄ Λυκείου. Η εργασία του είναι βασισμένη σε θέμα των παλαιών πολιτειακών εξετάσεων (Past HSC Exam Paper ¨2011” )
Λοιπόν, έφτασα στον τελευταίο μου σταθμό, τους ελέφαντες. Τι μεγάλα ζώα που είναι! Ευτυχώς ήταν φρόνιμα και ήσυχα όταν μπήκα και όχι σαν τις μαϊμούδες. Αλλά, δεν πρόφτασα να τα ταϊσω, ούτε να καθαρίσω γιατί η μυρουδιά τους ήταν τρομερή! Μύριζε τόσο άσχημα που έπρεπε να κρατώ την μύτη μου κλειστή, και όσο γρήγορα μπήκα, τόσο γρήγορα βγήκα. Ένιωθα άρρωστος και παραλίγο να κάνω εμετό!
Καλή ανάγνωση! κα Μ. Φαλέτα Topic: You have just completed your first day in a new job. You dislike it so much that you are thinking about resining. Write a diary entry in which you express your feelings. Αγαπητό μου ημερολόγιο,
Αγαπητό μου ημερολόγιο, δεν ξέρω πώς θα συνεχίσω σε αυτή τη δουλειά... Νόμιζα πως επειδή έχω κατοικίδιο και γενικά αγαπώ τα ζώα, θα μου άρεσε αυτή η δουλειά. Αλλά, δυστυχώς δεν άντεξα την πρώτη ημέρα και σκέφτομαι να παραιτηθώ. Θα το σκεφτώ και πάλι και θα σου γράψω αύριο βράδυ τι απόφαση πήρα τελικά.
Και πάλι μαζί! Καλά που έχω και σένα να ανοίγω την καρδιά μου... Λοιπόν, αυτή τη φορά θα σου μιλήσω για την καινούρια μου δουλειά. Τι να σου πω... Ήταν η πρώτη μου μέρα σήμερα ως φροντιστής ζώων στο ζωολογικό κήπο του Σύδνεϋ. Δεν αντέχω καθόλου την δουλειά αυτή, τόσο πολύ που σκέφτομαι ήδη να παραιτηθώ.
Εδώ σ’αφήνω. Θα τα ξαναπούμε σύντομα κι ευχαριστώ που με άκουσες. Κώστας
Να σου εξηγήσω γιατί: Όταν άρχισα, πρωί – πρωί, το αφεντικό μου μού είπε να καθαρίσω πρώτα ορισμένα κλουβιά και ύστερα να ταϊσω τα ζώα πρωινό. Λοιπόν, άρχισα με το πτηνοτροφείο. Όσες κοτσιλιές καθάρισα από το πάτωμα, την ίδια στιγμή, άλλες τόσες έπεσαν πάνω στο κεφάλι μου και στους ώμους μου. Δηλαδή, είχα γεμίσει κοτσιλιές... ήμουν τόσο θυμωμένος που ήθελα να φύγω αυτή την ίδια στιγμή! Αλλά, συνέχισα επειδή ήταν η πρώτη μου μέρα στην καινούρια δουλειά και ήθελα να δείξω στο αφεντικό μου ότι μπορώ να κάνω καλή και σωστή δουλειά.
Connor Giavis Year 11 (Modern Greek Year 12)
Η επόμενη στάση μου ήταν στο κλουβί των πιθήκων. Μόλις όμως μπήκα μέσα, όλες οι μαϊμούδες άρχισαν να τραβούν τα μαλλιά μου. Πω! Πω! Τι χάλια, δεν μπορούσα να προστατέψω τον εαυτό μου. Και το πιστεύεις, όταν είδαν τις μπανάνες μου τρελαθήκανε και 26
SPORTS COLUMN Congratulations to all our students for their wonderful sporting accomplishments.
BOYS SPORTS ATHLETICS LITTLE A’s
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL While the school Athletics season is close to an end, the little A’s season is upon us with a number of students in the midst of some very intense competition. Leon Kalyvas on Saturday 11th November competed at the club championships, achieving 3 gold medal performances. Leon placed 1st in discuss with a throw of 41.47m , 1st in shot put 12.19m and 1st in Javelin.
Rounds 3 and 4 of the basketball competition are now complete and the boys’ teams are really making strong gains in their development. In round 3, the teams played against Chevalier College, in what were very tough contests against a school that only this year came down from division 1. Although it was difficult, the boys really applied themselves and gave a good account of the school’s strong position in basketball. The U15 boys were our only team to win in this round, but the general consensus among all the coaches is that the boys are definitely on the right path to improve every week which is the goal and aim for this season. While expectations are high, the boys are not looking too far ahead and rely on weekly performance appraisals as the main source of team success. In round 4, the boys had much more to cheer about with the U14, U15 and Open boys winning their games against Oakhill College. All these teams performed very well, exhibiting excellent teamwork and importantly executing their set plays in attack with precision and purpose. The win was a much needed boost for our Open boys who have been relentless in their approach to training and their willingness to apply themselves for the entirety of all their respective games.
While Leon achieved success in all the above field events, Gabriella Guerrera, Larisa Arnautovic and Benjamin Hickman competed at the Little A’s relay championships at Homebush, on Sunday 18th November in a number of events, one of which was the mixed 4 x 400m relay team. The students did very well narrowly miss out on making the final.
In the Opens game the lead changed several times in the first quarter before our boys really took the ascendancy in the second quarter with wonderful shooting from Adam Geortsis. His dominant role as the point guard was really a telling difference in the end. That said, all the boys contributed to a memorable victory with Dimitrios Dimas (team captain) making his presence felt in defence and John Dalakiaris benefitting from some very neat set moves in the back end of the third quarter. Marcus James, the team’s youngest team member together with William Georgas, Bill Avdalis, Bill Malomitis and Dylan Kelesis were also outstanding 27
contributing to a very memorable home game victory.
Last Saturday, the team played against Redfield College. There is saying in sport that ‘sometimes winning becomes a habit’ and this would be true again this week. While there was an early top order collapse in the batting, Christian Jenkins stood tall and secured his second half century in consecutive weeks to help steer the College to a defendable total of 157 runs. The boys would need to defend to win the game or at least capitalize on all their chances to secure another win.
It was a nail-biting end to the game but the boys came away with a deserved result and they can now look towards trying to strengthen their performance for next week against St Gregory’s College.
Often, the best form of defence is attack and this mantra proved to be the difference. The bowling and fielding exhibition really rattled their opposition. The line and length bowled by all the bowlers had the batsman second guessing. The bowling attack proved to be a torrent of well delivered, consistent, relentless, precise deliveries that lured the batsman into making hurried and unnecessary shots that led to the fall of wickets. BOYS FIRST XI CRICKET
The recipe for success can be credited to the bowlers desire for success and the bowlers were also rewarded with relentless fielding from all the team with some very memorable catches taken. Perhaps Chad Bteddini’s catch at point while backtracking in the field was the highlight.
The cricket season is almost at the half way mark and the boys are really putting on a show for all. Coral Sea Park is becoming a real fortress for the boys as they racked up their third win in a row for the season.
Of all the bowlers Benjamin Hickman really stood out and our youngest player collected a best 4 for 26 off 8 overs. It was a stellar performance with the ball and a day to remember for one of the team’s youngest members.
In round 3, the boys played against St Patricks College in what was a real test of character for the team after their convincing win the week before. The boys won the toss and elected to bat. Once more Spiros Zafiropoulos batted beautifully, even more poised than the previous week when he scored his maiden century for the school. Spiros drew confidence from his performance last week and in this game, he managed to improve on the schools highest score record by scoring 168 runs. Spiros Zafiropoulos was not alone in his batting exploits with Christian Jenkins claiming his first 50 for the school. Christian was incredibly well measured in his shot selection. Christian has been training very hard and as a senior leader of the team has really led by example. The team accrued a total of 269. With the ball the boys managed to dismiss the St Pats team for 157 securing victory.
I take this opportunity to also credit Spiros Zafiropoulos as Captain of the team, and the senior leadership group among the boys for their close collaboration with each other, and the trust and respect that they have managed to instill in every player in the squad. The comradery is building and the benefit of retaining the same team from last year is proving to be a real bonus for the team this season. Congratulations to the boys and their coach Mr Zafiropoulos on a wonderful start to the season.
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Bowling B. Hickman: 4- 26 off 8 overs M. Giokas: 3-21 off 6 overs B. Borodyansky: 2 catches for the match including a caught and bowled off his own bowling. Upcoming events:
Round 5 ISA Basketball v St Gregory’s College at St Gregory’s College Saturday 24th November;
Round 6 ISA Basketball v St Stanislaus College at the School Sports and Performing Arts Centre 1st December;
Round 5 Boys First XI Cricket at Coral Sea Park v Scots All Saints Saturday 24th November;
Round 6 Boys First XI Cricket at Coral Sea Park v Oxley College Saturday 1st December.
Mr F. Kaldis Boys Sports Highlights round 3 v St Patrick’s College
GIRLS SPORTS
Batting S. Zafiropoulos: 168
BASKETBALL Round 3
C. Jenkins: 62
TEAM OPEN B
Bowling M. Giokas: 3 – 30 off 10 overs S. Zafiropoulos: 3 - 6 off 10 overs
OPEN D
Highlights round 4 v Redfield College
INTERME DIATE
Batting C. Jenkins: 59
JUNIOR B
S. Stamoulis 23
JUNIOR C
C. Giavis 21
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OPPONENT Blue Mountains Grammar School Barker St Paul’s Grammar School Redlands St Andrews Cathedral School
RESULT 40-26 LOST
MVP Yana Vergotis
27-9 WIN 24-16 WIN
Vivienne Hatzgiakoumis Eleni Mouskos
20-25 LOST LOST
Jasmin Moros Jennifer Pyliotis
very pleasing as the girls have worked extremely hard at improving their skills and game play each week.
Round 4 TEAM OPEN B
OPPONENT RESULT MVP Barker 24-23 Sonya WIN Paradisis OPEN D BYE INTERMEDIATE St Andrews 10-19 Stephanie Cathedral LOSS Bousoutis School JUNIOR B Oxley 48-6 Jana College WIN Panagopoulos JUNIOR C St Paul’s 16-14 Anastasia Grammar WIN Lambrou School
The girls have exceeded expectations so far this season, not only have they continued to score tries each week and be competitive , to earn a win against schools that have been playing touch football for quite some time is exceptional. Each week their coach Cassandra has identified areas on which the girls can improve particularly in their attack, the girls attend training motivated to acquire these new skills and each week they have applied these new skills into the game situation. The girls have relished in the challenge of learning a new sport and most importantly they are enjoying their time on the field.
Congratulations to the girls basketball teams with a successful round 3 & 4 of the ISA competition. We had the Intermediate and Junior C girls earn their first win of the season against St Paul’s Grammar School which was a great confidence booster for these teams.
Both myself and their coach Cassandra are extremely proud of this group of girls as are the St Spyridon School community and we look forward to watching them improve further.
The Junior B girls were narrowly defeated against Redlands but most certainly a learning experience to motivate them throughout the remainder of the season. The Open B and Open D girls are progressing well as they begin to develop team cohesion and improve their shooting ability. This year we have 2 rounds remaining and hopefully we can continue to secure some wins in order to be in good stead for the back end of the season next year. TOUCH FOOTBALL Round 3 TEAM OPPONENT Junior Blue Mountains Grammar School Round 4 TEAM OPPONENT Junior Redlands C
RESULT 3-1 LOST
MVP Gabriella Guerrera
RESULT 3-1 WIN
MVP Sienna Tsoukalas Ms K. O’Shea Girls Sports
Congratulations to the girls on their first win of the season defeating Redlands 3-1. This result is 30
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