Year 8 Year 8 has required the boys to work on becoming independent learners. Taking on responsibility, seeking out answers for themselves and taking charge of their learning. The boys have been lead well this year by a fine group of student leaders and I congratulate them for their enthusiasm in their role. I encourage all boys to continue to strive for their very best. The boys have participated in many great and varied experiences. During Year 8 the boys have grown enormously both in their physical development and social/emotional development.This has seen them develop into fine young men and I have had the pleasure of building a strong respectful relationship with the boys. I would also like to thank the Year 8 Homeroom teachers for the commitment they have shown throughout the year. I will miss seeing the boys around the college and look forward to their return to the college in 2017. I wish the current Year 8 boys all the very best for your future years at St Joseph’s College. Claire Wrigley - Year 8 Coordinator Several Year 8 boys have reflected on the various activities they have been involved in this year…..
YEAR 8 RENEWALS
Earlier in the year we undertook a renewals day to learn more about ourselves and have a fresh start.We had a guest speaker Travis Dempsey from the band ‘The Living End’ come to talk to us about his childhood. He came from not such a good background and ended up being a world famous drummer, he seemed to of achieved so much during his life. As one of the activities for the day, in our group he gave us a drumming lesson. Overall it was a great day, and I can’t wait till the next one. Finn Dripps – 8B
ACC BASKETBALL
The first round of the ACC basketball was held at MSAC, the junior team played well but lost the grand final, which meant they would advance. In the second round the team won their first game 43-5 which helped to boost their confidence.The team lost their second game but won in a thrilling quarter-final which went into overtime. The junior team lost in the semi-final to finish as the third best team in Division 1. Whilst not the finish they wanted, the boys proved that they could play against the stronger basketball schools. Matthew Teale – 8B
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PROJECT BASED LEARNING
In Term 3, several religion classes were able to participate in a new learning program known as ‘Project Based Learning’. The focal point of this style of learning is group work and collaboration skills. Experts say that traditional styles of learning in where the teacher stands at the front of the room and tells students what to do doesn’t prepare them for the real world. The PBL that I participated in for Religion, started with each of the chosen classes being divided into five groups, each given a non-profit food organisation and a driving question about ‘how can we as Catholic School students mobilise our local community to meet the need for food assistance’. Throughout the term each group compiled a list of ‘knows’ and ‘need to knows’, participated in benchmarks and finally performed a Culminating Task by presenting an exhibition of all the work the group had completed over the term and ways to help those in need. The feedback varied during the process of reflection with several students said they really enjoyed it while the majority stated that it wasn’t their preferred learning style. Nathan Fox- 8C
WINTER SLEEP OUT
Many boys participated in the winter sleep out which was an event to help raise awareness for homelessness. It was a great insight and was an experience to remember. Thomas Bucki-Smith – 8E
MCG TOUR
In activities week we went to the MCG. We went on a tour of the ground and found out a lot of interesting facts. After the tour we went to the sports museum were we got to watch grand final highlights, listen to inspirational stories from legends off different games. The most exciting part of the experience was when we got to play games like soccer where we had penalty shots and cricket to see how quick you can throw the ball to get the batsman out. Bailey Patton – 8J
OLD MELBOURNE GOAL
The Old Melbourne Gaol was a great place to visit. It was a dark and quiet place, but full of history. We learnt about Ned Kelly’s story, and how it led to his execution inside the Gaol. Patrick Sweet- 8H
