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Issue 10, December 2012 Around Catholic Schools Catholic Education in the Diocese of Sale
Issue 10, December 2012
Around Catholic Schools
Catholic Education in the Diocese of Sale
Contents
From the Director
Supporting Seth
Young artists continue to shine
Debating champions
Celebrating grandparents
Bringing language to life
App-lied learning
Celebrating reading
Prayer in PJs
Shop of horrors
Book in a Day winners announced
Seedlings of hope
Doing the Holka Polka
St Francis Xavier opens in Officer
Community spirit
Around our schools
Learning walk-through
Thank you for the music
Elephant in the room
Up with technology
Reaching out to others
On with the show!
Encouraging excellence
Footy fever at Mary MacKillop
Year 9 Diocesan Youth Gathering
Wedding bells
Telling stories
Table service at St Brendan’s
Great minds
Mini Vinnies
Bible reading winners
Exploring Melbourne
Down the rabbit hole
2012 Diocesan Learning Expo
From the Director Maria Kirkwood
Main photo:
St Michael’s
(Traralgon)
Small
photos:
St Brigid’s
(Officer)
Sacred Heart
(Morwell)
Mary MacKillop
Catholic
Regional
College
(Leongatha)
FRONT COVER
Around Catholic Schools This magazine is published in June and December each year by the Catholic Education
Office, Diocese of Sale, and is distributed to all families and staff in our 41 schools, as
well as parish offices.
Please email story ideas, photos, articles and feedback to magazine editor
Kirsty Pitman: [email protected]
All photos are published on the understanding that schools have obtained consent from
students and/or their parents.
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In the four months that I have been
working in the Sale Diocese, initially as
Deputy Director and for the last couple
of weeks as Director, I have had the
opportunity to visit some of the
primary and secondary schools that
make up Catholic education in the
diocese.
I have been very impressed by the
enthusiasm exhibited by staff and
students and their genuine love of
learning and commitment to making
their school the best it can be. I have
met and spent time talking with and
listening to the leaders of learning, the
principals and some of their leadership
personnel and I can see that teaching
and learning is in good hands.
When visiting schools I have been
greeted frequently by poised and
mature young people who have
chatted naturally and knowingly about
the good things associated with being
at their particular school and I have
been shown special areas, new
buildings and told about plans for the
future.
As a Catholic educator of some 37
years, it is wonderful to see the pride
that principals, teachers and students
have in their schools. I am aware of the
enormous support given to schools by
the staff of the Catholic Education
Office in many areas, but particularly
with an emphasis on developing
excellent leaders both now and for the
future.
I hope you enjoy reading of the
highlights of our schools in this edition
of Around Catholic Schools.
When five-and-a-half year old Seth
Sleep was diagnosed with leukemia
earlier this year, his family’s world was
turned upside down. But Seth’s school –
Trinity Catholic Primary – has gone out
of its way to make things easier for the
Narre Warren South family.
As chemotherapy kept Seth away from
school for almost all of Terms 2 and 3,
Trinity Principal John Williams sent a
letter home to families inviting
donations towards the purchase of an
iPad for Seth.
“Currently, Seth is missing out on the
many experiences a normal Prep year
would offer: the learning, the
friendships and the sense of belonging
to a wonderful school community,”
wrote John. “The gift of an iPad with wifi
access will open up opportunities for
Seth to have some normality in his life.”
Seth’s father, Simon, said he was
shocked when John called him back
within four days to say they were ready
to order the iPad. “I had to put him on
hold, just about,” said Simon, “because I
started crying. I was surprised that
everyone cared so much”.
John said he was overwhelmed with the
generous response from Trinity families.
“I had parents who were offering to pay
the full amount of the iPad,” he said.
Even after the purchase of the iPad, sim
card and iTunes gift card, there were
enough extra funds to present the Sleep
family with $1500 of petrol and
supermarket vouchers to ease their
financial burden.
“We’re really glad we chose Trinity,”
said Seth’s mother, Nikki. “The school’s
just been amazing. We’ve been a bit
overwhelmed, actually. We’ve often
received frozen meals. Seth’s teacher,
Miss Berryman, visited us twice the first
week and has been to the hospital.
Trinity organised for Camp Quality to
talk to the kids about chemotherapy-
treated diseases. They’ve applied for
funding for an aide for Seth for next
year.”
Trinity Prep Teacher Andrea Berryman
said Seth’s classmates prayed daily for
him to get better. “Prep B children miss
Seth greatly and love the times that he
can visit and socialise with everyone,”
she said.
Seth now enjoys playing Uno, Hangman
and Angry Birds Space on his iPad, as
well as Skyping his good friend Jacob
and his Prep class at Trinity. “Using
Skype to contact Seth was an awesome
experience for everyone involved,” said
Andrea. “Seth showed us around his
hospital room. Prep B also got to share
some of the exciting things that had
been happening at school.”
“Seth was able to join in with fruit and
story time via Skype,” added Nikki. “The
fruit cart in the hospital came around at
the same time so Seth listened to the
story while eating grapes.”
While Seth has been doing some
homeschooling this year, he is really
looking forward to doing art, music and
reading when he returns to Trinity full-
time. That, and ordering a hot dog on
lunch order day!
Trinity
Narre Warren South
- 3 -
Young artists continue to shine
- 4 -
Two Grade 6 girls from the western end
of the Diocese of Sale are this year’s
overall winners in the Catholic
Education Office Christmas Card Design
competition.
The artwork of Janelle Del Vecchio from
St Michael’s Primary School in Berwick
and Megan Bailey from St Therese’s
Primary School in Cranbourne North
caught the judges’ eye from the pool of
2,251 entries submitted by 28 schools.
Both girls received a $100 voucher for
art supplies, as well as a $250 Zart Art
voucher for their schools.
The next eight best entrants were
selected to receive prizes, while a
further 90 students were awarded a
Highly Commended certificate.
Although for the first time in four years
St Mary’s Primary School in Maffra did
not field an overall winner, the school
still dominated the competition, taking
44 of the top 100 places.
Across the diocese, 22 children in Prep
or Grade 1 received Encouragement
Awards, acknowledging their artwork as
being particularly outstanding for their
age.
Finally, the best entrant from each
participating school received a set of his
or her own Christmas cards,
professionally printed.
OVERALL BEST ENTRIES
Above:
Janelle Del Vecchio
(St Michael’s, Berwick)
Opposite page, main image:
Megan Bailey
(St Therese’s, Cranbourne North)
SHORTLISTED ARTISTS
Back cover
Left column, top to bottom:
Mahli Jackson
(St Mary’s, Maffra)
Eloise Ridder-Strickland
(St Mary’s, Bairnsdale)
Maddy Jans
(St Brigid’s, Officer)
David Ahrens
(Columba, Bunyip)
Right column, top to bottom:
John Robbins
(St Mary’s, Sale)
Bella Nestor
(St James, Nar Nar Goon)
Sebastian Moore
(St Mary’s, Yarram)
Lewis Wendell
(St Mary’s, Maffra)
BEST FROM SCHOOL
Opposite page, top row, L to R:
Jemma Higgins
(Nagle, Bairnsdale)
Lexi King
(St Vincent de Paul, Morwell East)
Nivya Benny
(St Agatha’s, Cranbourne)
Cooper Murray
(St Joseph’s, Warragul)
Charlie Hamilton
(St Ita’s, Drouin)
Jemma Viney
(St Joseph’s, Trafalgar)
Cathryn White
(Mary MacKillop, Narre Warren North)
Middle row, L to R:
Thomas Russell
(Lavalla, Traralgon)
Alex Raso
(St John the Baptist, Koo Wee Rup)
Tahlia Hill
(St Laurence O’Toole, Leongatha)
Skye Trotter Wilson
(Lumen Christi, Churchill)
Matthew Hoekstra
(St Mary’s, Newborough)
Bottom row, L to R:
Jasmine Mamontov
(Don Bosco, Narre Warren)
Tiarna Swan
(St Patrick’s, Pakenham)
Zach Reid
(St Joseph’s, Wonthaggi)
Nicola D’Mello
(Trinity, Narre Warren South)
Joshua Wykes
(St Brendan’s, Lakes Entrance)
Keely Harper
(St Joseph’s, Korumburra)
Jane Dinnie
(St Kieran’s, Moe)
- 5 -
Debating champions St Kieran’s, Moe
Bringing
language to life
Twenty Lavalla Catholic College Year
9, 10 and 11 LOTE students recently
returned from Italy, where they
experienced three weeks of total
immersion in Italian culture,
language, cuisine and life style.
Accompanied by Italian Teacher
Valentina Bonatti, Art Teacher Lisa
French and St Paul’s Campus Director
Andrew Martin, students visited
Sorrento, Positano, Piacenza, the
ruins of Pompeii and the major
landmarks of Rome, Florence and
Pisa.
In Padova, students were hosted by
families and attended an Italian
school, where they had the
opportunity to experience the Italian
family life style and education
system.
One of the many trip highlights was
a gondola ride in Venice to the tiny
island of Murano, where students
were able to see a master glass
artisan at work.
“Students really had an
unforgettable time,” said Italian
Teacher Valentina Bonatti. “In fact
some of them were actually reluctant
to get the plane back to Australia!”
- 6 -
St Kieran’s Primary School in Moe won
the Latrobe Valley Catholic Interschool
Debating Competition for the fourth
year in a row.
Held at St Vincent de Paul Primary
School in Morwell East on Friday 10
August, the competition involved St
Mary’s in Newborough, St Kieran’s in
Moe, Sacred Heart in Morwell and the
host school.
“All the children worked extremely
hard to prepare for the occasion,” said
St Kieran’s Grade 6/5/4 Teacher James
Hassett. “They were excited about
performing in front of their peers and
particularly proud to receive the
Andrea Morgan Memorial Trophy and
the $500 first prize. What a fantastic
showcase of the talents and
commitment from all participating
schools.”
This year the competition saw the
introduction of an encouragement
award for an outstanding individual
effort. It is hoped this accolade will
encourage talented young participants
to go further with their debating and
public speaking skills. A St Vincent de
Paul Primary School student, Clayton
Monacella, was the inaugural recipient
of the award.
Over 100 parents, relatives, students,
teachers and special guests attended
the debating event. The three judges
— all of whom have been heavily
involved in education over the years —
were very impressed with the high
standard of the competition.
St Patrick’s Primary School in
Pakenham held a Grandparents’ Mass
on Wednesday 17 October in the new
school stadium. Afterwards, students
entertained the crowd of
approximately 300 grandparents and
parents with their musical talents.
Celebrating grandparents
St Michael’s
Traralgon
- 7 -
Students in Grades 5 and 6 at St
Michael’s Primary School in Traralgon
are already reaping the educational
benefits of the 1:1 iPad program
introduced this year.
St Michael’s Principal Richard Wans said
the iPad rollout was part of the school’s
commitment to building learners as
thinkers.
“Effective twenty-first century learning
is about reshaping the way we view
education,” said Richard. “Our children
currently live in—and will grow up in—a
world that is changing exponentially.”
Teachers, students and parents alike are
full of praise for the new iPad program.
“Overwhelmingly, the response has
been extremely positive,” St Michael’s
ICT Learning Leader, Cathy Farmer. “It
has provided opportunities for students
at all levels to showcase their learning
in a way that suits them.”
“I find the iPad most useful for
presentations,” said Grade 6 student
Emily, “because there’s lots of different
ways you can present using the
different apps. You can think outside of
the box and be more creative”.
Far from being limited to one ICT lesson
a week, iPads are used whenever they
suit the task. “For example, in Religion
we have retold Bible stories using
movie and cartoon design apps,” said
Katrina McInnes, the school’s Grade 5/6
Level Learning Leader.
Although the early stages of the
program focused on developing student
familiarity with different apps, this was
quickly replaced with a focus on deep
learning. “What we have discovered is
that once students become familiar with
different apps, they are very creative
and are able to take their learning so
much further than we had planned,”
said Katrina.
An added bonus of the St Michael’s iPad
program has been the creation of
increased links between home and
school. “Students are taking the iPads
home each day and can show parents
what they have been working on and
this opens up discussions about their
learning as well as gives parents an idea
of what is happening in our classrooms,”
said Cathy.
The iPad rollout has certainly not
reduced the importance of classroom
teachers at St Michael’s but has
necessitated a change in their role.
“Our role as teachers has been to
provide a clear focus and purpose for
the tasks presented and once the
students have an understanding of this,
their finished products may be very
different but maintain the focus of
learning,” said Katrina. “Often we find
students combining two or more apps to
create an individualised presentation
that shows their learning.”
For the students, this new approach to
school work is highly motivating. “It’s
easier and more fun to do work,” said PJ,
a Grade 6 student. “And when work’s
more fun, you want to do it more.”
- 8 -
St Agatha’s
Cranbourne They might be skilled users of
Information and Communications
Technologies but the students at St
Agatha’s Primary School in Cranbourne
still love a good book.
Under the guidance of Literacy Lead
Teacher Kris Crawford, St Agatha’s
students enjoyed a fortnight of reading
celebrations as Book Week and Literacy
Week ran back-to-back in August.
During Book Week, each class created
and displayed a 2m by 1.5m plasticised
banner along the school fence, sharing
what they knew and loved about
reading. Junior grades also met well-
known author and illustrator Craig
Smith.
Book Swap Day saw many students
bring a book to exchange with a
classmate. “As well as doing our bit to
save trees by recycling paper, the
children enjoyed swapping old
favourites for something new to read,”
said Kris. “Teachers joined in, too!”
The third major activity for Book Week
was Dress Up Day, which included a
parade of children and teachers dressed
up as their favourite book characters.
Grade 6 students led the rest of the
school in “Gotta Keep Reading”, an
adapted song. “The children had been
practising this song during Library
sessions and got very enthusiastic as
they sang and danced with their
favourite books held high,” said Kris.
“What a sight to see over 400 students
celebrating reading in such fine style!”
Literacy Week involved close
collaboration between St Agatha’s and
the new St Peter’s College campus in
Cranbourne East. Twenty-four Year 8
students visited St. Agatha’s to work
with Grade 3/4 students on a dozen
books that they had chosen to share. St
Agatha’s children listened as the older
students read a book to them,
questioned them about the characters
and events in the story and engaged
them in some follow-up activities that
they had designed themselves.
The celebratory fortnight culminated
with Buddy Reading Day. Each St
Agatha’s grade paired up with another
grade and the children read one or two
books together. “The social aspect was
important,” said Kris, “as younger
children saw that reading was important
for senior students. It was also good for
older students to revisit the skills
needed for younger students who are
still learning to read”.
- 9 -
Prayer in PJs
For once, it was a case of parents
hurrying children to get out of their
uniform and into pyjamas instead of
vice versa as St Joseph’s Primary
School in Warragul held its annual
Prayer in Pyjamas night for Prep
students.
Organised by the St Joseph’s Parish
Sacramental Team, the event is
designed to help children become
acquainted with different ways of
praying.
“It always receives a fantastic
response from parents and students,”
said St Joseph’s Religious Education
Coordinator, Janelle Deguara.
“Dressed in their pyjamas, the
children participate in formal
prayers, action rhymes, movement,
listening to scripture, writing a
prayer with their parents and a song
of blessing.”
Attending families worked through
activities such as making a family
prayer candle, prayer pocket, prayer
teddy and a Bible story play using
puppets.
“The children were very keen to talk
about their prayer experiences at
school the next day,” said Janelle.
“They had a wonderful time together
and really gained a lot from this
special night.”
St Peter’s College in Cranbourne
dazzled audiences with its four
performances of Little Shop of Horrors at the George Jenkins Theatre, Monash
University, in August.
The tenth full-scale production the
College has staged since 1996, Little Shop of Horrors is a parody of
American science fiction films and
features sixties Motown-style music.
Involving a cast of 60 and a live seven-
piece band featuring staff and
students, the production received rave
reviews.
St Agatha’s Primary School staff
member Kay Blaney, who attended a
full dress rehearsal of the production
with the school’s Senior students,
described the production as fantastic.
“It is hard to believe that it was
performed by such young people,” said
Kay. “All of the St Agatha’s students
expressed how exciting it was.”
The play was directed by St Peter’s
staff member Gina Goss, assisted by
Frank Carter as Music Director, Karissa
Robertson as Choreographer and Matt
Sharp as Vocal Coach.
Shop of horrors St Peter’s College, Cranbourne
St Peter’s College in Cranbourne won
this year’s Book In A Day competition
where student teams had to compose a
novella of 8,000 to 12,000 words. Jake
Uhlenberg, Kynan Strachan, Mikaela
Tai, Ryan Trost, Liam Buchan and
Olwyn McKenna received an average
reader appreciation score of 9/10.
Book in a Day winners announced
- 10 -
St Francis Xavier
opens in Officer
The third campus of St Francis Xavier
College—located in Majestic Drive,
Officer—is now open.
As the College’s second Year 7 to 9
Campus, it answers the call to cater
for the growth of the Beaconsfield
and Pakenham areas and will be
more easily accessible than the
Berwick Campus for students living
in Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield
and Koo Wee Rup.
Sitting on 20 acres at the northern
side of the Princes Highway, the
Officer campus will be constructed in
stages over seven years. By 2014,
Years 7, 8 and 9 will be enrolled at
Officer, replicating the successful
Berwick Campus model.
Principal Paul Desmond and Deputy
Principal Margaret Blythman, the
inaugural Head of the Officer
Campus, will guide an experienced
team of educators.
While students will be accepted to
either the Officer or Berwick junior
campuses according to residential
address, they will undertake the
same curriculum and participate in
many sporting and extracurricular
activities together. Both 7-9
Campuses will prepare students for
transition to Years 10, 11 and 12 at
the College’s Beaconsfield Campus.
St Laurence O’Toole Primary School in
Leongatha kicked off Term Three with
its school concert Holka Polka on
Thursday 2 August.
A parody of various fairy tales, the
performance involved all St Laurence’s
classes under the guidance of talented
Music/Dance/Drama Teacher, Bron
Kalos.
Doing the Holka Polka
Students in Years 7 to 11 at Nagle
College in Bairnsdale each planted a
tree on Wednesday 19 September as
part of the school’s commitment to
promoting environmental stewardship.
Members of the Year 9 Eco Warriors
Group and Senior VCAL students spent
many hours clearing a section of the
Mitchell River bank and digging over
800 holes for the seedlings to be
planted.
The planting area was divided into
seven areas, representative of the
seven Nagle College Houses.
Seedlings were Melaleuca ericifolia
(Swamp Paperbarks) which are
indigenous to the Mitchell River plains
on which Nagle College is situated. The
trees planted were the result of seeds
propagated by Nagle students as part
of the Rainforest Project Launch in
2011.
Many students chose to attach
messages or their names to the
protective cages around the trees to
commemorate the event.
The coordinating teacher, Andrea
Savage, said she was delighted by the
positive attitude to the activity by the
staff and students.
“The aim of the activity was to raise
student awareness of the need to care
for our environment,” said Andrea. “We
hope students can see that through a
simple action we can all make a
difference.”
Representatives from local Landcare
groups also joined Nagle students for
this momentous occasion.
Seedlings of hope Nagle College, Bairnsdale
- 11 -
Catholic College
Sale Eight Year 11 students from Catholic
College Sale left their families and
friends and surrendered their
telephones to engage in a life-changing
experience in a distant Aboriginal
Community.
The event was a seven-day immersion
in Santa Teresa, an Aboriginal
Community located 80 kilometres south
-east of Alice Springs. As an immersion,
the experience was intended to be
quite different from a tourist visit.
“The goal was for each student to gain
an insight into the harshness of life and
conditions in outback Australia,” said
Catholic College Sale staff member Liz
Whitehill, who accompanied the group.
“As such, students participated in many
of the community’s day-to-day activities
during their stay.”
The Catholic College Sale group was
hosted by the Marist Brothers who have
a strong presence in the Santa Teresa
community.
A definite highlight of the immersion
experience was the students’
involvement in the Santa Teresa
Community Women’s Centre, where
they assisted with preparation for the
delivery of the local “meals on wheels”
service to the elders of the community.
Amidst their community work, Catholic
College Sale students were fortunate
enough to visit the world renowned
Keringke Art Centre located in the
Ltyentye Apurte community. Here,
students watched the gifted female
artists create some amazing pieces. The
group also worked with the elders in
the Spirituality Centre where more of
this fine artwork is produced. The elder
women taught the students how to
paint on silk and each brought home a
precious keepsake.
Nightfall brought a new range of
experiences to the Catholic College
Sale group. One evening the students
were taken out bush with the
Aboriginal elder women to collect bush
medicine, cook kangaroo tail and hear
Aboriginal stories. “The women sat
around the fire, singing songs of faith
and spiritual significance,” said Liz
Whitehill. “It was a very moving
experience.”
Camping under the stars, students
were privileged to participate in a
traditional Smoking Ceremony. “The
ceremony signifies leaving behind
troubles and beginning something
new,” explained Liz. “This is quite
significant, as the group has returned
with a refreshed appreciation for their
own lives and a renewed perspective on
their education and future.”
LEFT
St Michael’s Primary School in
Heyfield held its annual Art on Davis Street show on Friday 31
August. The event showcased
the wonderful art pieces
created by students, such as
those shown on the left. The
young artists paraded their
decorated hats, much to the
delight of those present.
The school would like to
thank all the friends and
families who attended
the evening.
ABOVE LEFT
Students in Grade
1/2 at St Joseph’s
Primary School in
Wonthaggi always
enjoy Investigation
Time.
ABOVE
Science has been a major
focus at St Joseph’s Primary
School in Orbost over the
past term, with many
experiments happening around
the school. Several parents
generously volunteered their
time to assist with the final
science presentations.
ABOVE
Students at St John the Baptist Primary School in Koo Wee Rup
dressed up as story characters to celebrate Book Week.
ABOVE RIGHT
Children’s author and illustrator Roland Harvey visited St
Mary’s Primary School in Maffra on Thursday 16 August.
- 12 -
Around our schools
RIGHT
Students at St Mary’s Primary
School in Yarram ended Term
Three with a celebration of sports
and cultures from across the
globe. Students and staff
enjoyed both indoor and
outdoor activities from
countries such as
Switzerland, Mexico, the
USA, Vietnam, Ghana and
Ireland. There was also a
special lunch showcasing
foods from the different
countries.
ABOVE
Grade 5/6 students at
St Therese’s Primary
School in Cranbourne
North have been
studying the bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Like young Sadako Sasaki,
the children made paper
cranes in the hope for peace.
ABOVE RIGHT
Two teachers from St Mary’s
Primary School in Newborough
— Trish Mulqueen and Megan
Tomasetti — were among the 99
Victorian finalists in the 2012
National Excellence in Teaching
Awards.
ABOVE
Families at St Thomas’ Primary School in Sale enjoyed a display
by the Roulettes at the school’s annual Arts Alive event.
ABOVE RIGHT
Students at Columba Catholic Primary School in Bunyip shared
breakfast at school with their fathers on Thursday 30 August.
- 13 -
Around our schools
- 14 -
Not only do students at St Joseph’s
Primary School in Trafalgar enjoy their
learning but they are able to articulate
the processes involved in more detail
than many adults can.
As an accredited Performance and
Development Culture school, St
Joseph’s is leading the way with its
focus on meta-learning (learning how
to learn). This semester, the small
Trafalgar school has had many visitors
tour the classrooms in what are known
as “learning walk-throughs”.
During each walk-through, students
enthusiastically explained their
learning to groups such as local
Catholic Primary Principals, Catholic
Education Office personnel and school
parents.
Even children as young as Prep were
able to articulate learning behaviours
necessary to produce quality work, such
as staying on task, dealing with a
blocker, thinking about the task before
starting and listening to the teacher and
each other.
In the junior classroom, Grade 1/2
students proudly demonstrated their
teamwork skills for visitors and spoke
about the skills needed to be an
effective team member.
Students in Grades 3 to 6 shared with
visitors how they participate in focused
reflections where they look at the many
different aspects of their learning.
Students explained how they were able
to identify and learn from any mistakes
made.
Visitors to St Joseph’s were very
impressed with the students’ ability and
confidence to articulate their learning
and the way they were genuinely
engaged with tasks.
Feedback received about the learning
walk-throughs was consistently
positive. “It was obvious that there is a
strong learning connection across the
school and the language is consistent
from Prep to Grade 6,” said one visitor.
“There is a strong emphasis on building
the student as an independent learner
who can work collaboratively,” said
another.
Parents commented on how good it was
to see what the children were doing
and to hear them speak so openly about
their learning. “It wasn’t like that when
we were at school,” was a common
response.
Students were equally delighted to
have such attentive audiences who
wanted to know all about their learning.
St Joseph’s
Trafalgar
If you missed seeing the 50 full-size
elephant sculptures decorated by
renowned Australian artists and
displayed around the Melbourne CBD
earlier this year, fear not: you can still
see the herd of their elephant calves
online.
St Ita’s Primary School in Drouin was
one of 55 Victorian schools that
painted a fibreglass elephant calf as
part of the Mali in My School project.
Both Mali in My School and Mali in the City were part of Melbourne Zoo’s
150th birthday celebrations.
A group of six Grade 4 students — the
“St Ita’s Mali Team” — worked tirelessly
to send a message to their school
community and local community: “We
should do all we can to look after all
living creatures as they are gifts from
God. If we don’t, who will?’”
Focusing on the local Drouin area,
students researched Victorian faunal
emblem, the Leadbeater’s Possum.
They were saddened to discover that
the Black Saturday bushfires as well as
timber harvesting had destroyed much
of the Leadbeater’s habitat.
Consequently, the designs on St Ita’s
baby Mali are a representation of the
dangers faced by these possums.
The St Ita’s Mali Team decided to
include the whole school in the
decoration of baby Mali by holding a
competition for the best design that
told a story about extinction. The
school also held an art exhibition with
over 180 endangered animal art pieces
made by all the students.
The Mali Team members bravely
hosted three school assemblies, which
helped develop their public speaking
skills.
Students’ involvement in the Mali in My School project has had many
personal and educational benefits, said
St Ita’s staff member Therese
Meggetto. “Through this experience,
the Grade 4 students have learnt a
deeper respect for all God’s creatures,
to work in a team and that you don’t
have to be an adult to be heard.”
St Ita’s mini Mali elephant was
displayed in Woolworths, Drouin, in
September followed by Melbourne Zoo
in October. The sculpture has now
been returned to St Ita’s for permanent
display.
You can see the entire colourful herd
of Mali in My School elephants at
http://www.zoo.org.au/150/mali-in-my-
school-sculptures
- 10 - - 15 -
Elephant in the room St Ita’s, Drouin
Thank you for
the music
Students from Grades Prep to 6 at St
Michael’s Primary School in Berwick
performed their biannual concert at
Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash
University, on Thursday 30 August.
Following weeks of rehearsals, the
school’s 368 students entertained an
audience of over 1,000 parents,
grandparents and friends with their
vibrant and colourful performance.
The production, entitled Thank You for the Music involved an eclectic
mix of songs and dances ranging
from The Wiggles to rock ’n’ roll.
“It is always a privilege to witness
students’ confidence, creativity and
group work skills promoted through
events such as these, where the
emphasis is on participation through
enjoyment,” said St Michael’s
Principal, Angela Kelly.
The production was coordinated by
Student Wellbeing Leader Rebecca
Kollaris with strong support from St
Michael’s classroom teachers and
school parents.
On with the show!
Students at Don Bosco Primary
School in Narre Warren presented
their school concert On with the Show! on Monday 17 September at
Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash
University.
For over two terms, all grades from
Prep to 6 had been rehearsing their
song and dance routines adapted
from Broadway musicals. Different
classes performed songs from The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, Grease, Fame, Shrek, The Sound of Music, Oliver and Hairspray.
It was a night of great excitement as
the children finally got to showcase
their performing skills to an
audience of over 1,000 people.
Students compered the show,
performed routines they had
choreographed themselves, played
instruments, sang solos and used
props they had created.
Graduate Music Teacher Stefania
Gatt coordinated the whole event, a
significant task considering the
involvement of approximately 400
students. With strong support from
other Don Bosco staff, the school
produced a creative, colourful,
upbeat and highly entertaining
concert.
- 16 -
Senior students at St Mary’s Primary
School in Sale are enjoying their new
classrooms with state-of-the-art
technologies. The school has spent
$600,000 refurbishing its Grade 5 and
6 classrooms, which have been fitted
with interactive Apple TVs that connect
wirelessly to student laptops.
St Mary’s Principal Cathy Mesaric said
she believed St Mary’s was the first
school in the Wellington Shire to adopt
this technology.
Federal Member for Gippsland, Darren
Chester, commended the school for its
foresight in the implementation of
these technologies.
“It is a credit to such a small school
community that they have been able to
secure the funding and to make sure
they are providing their students with
the best possible facilities,” he said.
The St Mary’s building upgrade has
seen the ageing Grade 5 and 6
classrooms completely refurbished,
including wiring, plastering and new
flooring.
As part of this project, the St Mary’s
junior classrooms will also be fitted
with interactive whiteboards.
St Patrick’s Primary School in Stratford
welcomed Zol and Cross, two asylum
seekers from Burma, to share their tale
of struggle and survival with students.
St Patrick’s students listened in
stunned silence as the gravity of Zol
and Cross’ hardship hit home. The
school is now assisting this courageous
pair to raise funds to rebuild their
badly damaged Burmese school.
Reaching out to others
Up with technology St Mary’s, Sale
- 17 -
A group of high achieving students from
Marist-Sion College in Warragul
travelled to Canberra in August as part
of the school’s Academic Enrichment
Program.
The five-day Canberra trip, which has
been offered annually for the past
seven years, is intended to reward
students for high academic
achievement in classroom subjects and
successful participation in a range of
external academic competitions and
Academic Enrichment Program (AEP)
projects. It is part of Marist-Sion’s
commitment to challenging all students
in their particular areas of interest and
talent.
Accompanied by two Marist-Sion
College teachers, the AEP group visited
many of the national icons for which
Canberra is renowned.
First on the agenda was the Australian
Institute of Sport. Here, students were
able to use the interactive sporting
equipment before receiving a guided
tour of the sporting facilities by an
Australian BMX rider.
At Parliament House, students met with
their local Member for Parliament,
Russell Broadbent. Seated in the gallery
above both the Senate and the House of
Representatives, students were able to
hear politicians delivering speeches on
proposed bills.
The Marist-Sion group’s visit to the
Australian War Memorial was
particularly memorable. “The whole
experience really made us think about
how fortunate we are to be living in a
war free country and to not have had to
experience war yet,” said student Abbey
Tyrell.
At the CSIRO Discovery Centre, students
learnt how scientists can genetically
modify plants to help protect them
against certain pests.
“Questacon, the National Science and
Technology Centre, was really exciting
and definitely a highlight of the trip,”
said student Eloise Shelton.
The group’s final three stops were the
National Museum, the National Film and
Sound Archives and the Dinosaur
Museum. “We had the opportunity to
touch one of the few actual dinosaur
bones that the Museum housed, which
was really cool,” said Abbey.
“Everyone really enjoyed the Canberra
trip and learnt heaps,” said Eloise. “We
would definitely recommend putting in
the extra effort to receive the
opportunity to go there as everyone
really had a great time.”
Marist-Sion College
Warragul
Year 9 Diocesan Youth Gathering
Footy fever at Mary MacKillop
Footy Day has become a much loved
tradition for the school community of
Mary MacKillop Primary School in
Narre Warren North.
This year, students were thrilled by
their own local heroes “Big Kev” and
“Little Kev” and a special bag-pipe
rendition of some of the AFL club
theme songs performed by a member
of the Police Band.
Kicking competitions ran throughout
the day, with ribbons presented to the
winners by the school’s Student
Leaders, who also assisted in the
running of these activities.
- 18 -
One hundred and thirty Year 9 students
from across the Diocese of Sale
gathered on Monday 3 September for a
Justice Day organised by the Catholic
Education Office. The day’s theme was
Year of Grace — Year of Opportunity.
In preparation for this day, 24 Year 11
students from across the diocese had
participated in a training day to act as
leaders at the Youth Gathering. On
returning to their schools, the leaders
had specific tasks to complete with the
Year 9 students who would be
attending the Gathering. One of these
was to involve students in collecting
bags of rice to be distributed to
refugees through the Brigidine Refugee
Centre in Melbourne.
The Year 9 Youth Gathering began with
a welcome from Dr Rose Duffy and
some “getting to know you” games led
by Danelle Dias, the Youth Minister for
Secondary Schools, with the assistance
of the Year 11 Leaders.
The first session saw the senior CSYMA
class from Catholic College Sale
perform a drama presentation on “The
Gifts of the Holy Spirit”. This was
followed by a presentation from John
and Meg Ryan from Mary MacKillop
Catholic Regional College in Leongatha,
who spoke about their recent trip to the
Philippines. Both Meg and John recalled
the many “gifts” they had received from
the different people they encountered
over there.
The second session opened with a
presentation from Danelle Dias on the
gifts of the Holy Spirit in her life. The
students used this input to reflect upon
the many gifts of the Holy Spirit that
they have been given or received from
others. Students then created a gift box
highlighting these different gifts.
The day concluded with a prayer service
in St Mary’s Cathedral. All students and
leaders gathered outside the Cathedral
and then processed in together.
“Year 11 leaders were instrumental in
the leading of the service,” said
Education Officer (RE: Secondary)
Bernie Tolan, “and a very prayerful and
reflective atmosphere was created.
Many students were moved by what
they heard and saw throughout the
Youth Gathering. We hope that in their
own communities students will build on
the foundations laid that day.”
The close-knit community of St
Joseph’s Primary School in Korumburra
gathered in the September school
holidays to celebrate the marriage of
their much loved teacher, Emily
Newcome.
Exchanging vows at the St Joseph’s
parish church, Emily and Blake Sherriff
were married in front of Emily’s Grade
Prep/1 class, along with many other
teachers, students and school families.
“It was amazing having my Prep/1
students, as well as some of my past
students, at the church celebrating
such a special day,” said Emily. “We
were surrounded by the most
important people in our lives and it
definitely wouldn't have been the same
without the St Joseph's family. I loved
looking down the church during the
service and seeing all the gorgeous
smiling faces of my students.”
Students were equally thrilled to have
been invited and given the opportunity
to blow celebratory bubbles after the
ceremony. “Their joyous greetings after
the ceremony and their blowing of
bubbles definitely added to the
atmosphere,” said Emily, “and both
Blake and I felt so humbled at the
support we received from all the
students and their families. Overall,
the day was wonderful, and even
better that we had the opportunity to
share it with my students.”
St Joseph’s Principal Greg Synan said
he was delighted for the couple. “We
wish Emily and Blake the greatest of
joy,” he said.
Students were also touched by the
positive emotions of the event. “I felt
so happy I could cry,” said Grade 1
student Taya. “Miss Newcome was
beautiful.” Prep student Emily agreed,
“I felt ecstatic. It is a great thing to
have a wedding”.
- 10 - - 19 - - 19 -
Wedding bells St Joseph’s, Korumburra
Telling stories
St Catherine’s Primary School in
Berwick placed third in the Victorian
State Finals of Wakakirri, a national
storytelling competition.
St Catherine’s entered 40 performers
and backstage students in the Story-
Dance category of the competition.
Called It’s Alive, their story was a
rewritten version of Frankenstein
centred on the theme of exclusion
and inclusion.
The talented St Catherine’s team put
together a 7-minute performance
that included choreographed dance
routines, set changes and costume
changes.
Following a flawless performance in
the heats section of the competition
at Frankston Arts Centre on
Wednesday 28 August, the team
faced the other top 4 Victorian
schools at the Clock Tower Theatre
on Tuesday 16 October.
As well as their third placing overall
at this event, St Catherine’s won the
Most Sustainable Production award,
which acknowledges the best school
to reduce, reuse and recycle
throughout their preparation.
The team’s lead character of
Frankenstein, Aliana Tabone was
awarded the best performer and won
a summer scholarship to the Jason
Coleman Ministry of Dance.
- 20 -
Great minds Trinity, Narre Warren South
Table service at
St Brendan’s
Prep students at St Brendan’s
Primary School in Lakes Entrance
have quite literally had a taste of
some different cultures that make up
Australia, with particular focus on
the Chinese and Italian cultures.
One of the students’ challenges was
to create their own Italian restaurant
in the classroom.
To see how restaurants work, the
students visited Lantern Palace
Chinese Restaurant in Bairnsdale for
lunch. Here they were able to put
into practice the table manners they
had been studying.
The children then used their daily
Investigation Time to design, create
and practise for their Italian
restaurant, which they cleverly
named “Oitalian”.
In the lead-up to the big event,
students designed and produced
their own placemats and place cards,
flower centerpieces and the
restaurant sign. They participated in
several role play stations to learn
how to behave at a restaurant, the
different roles within this setting and
how to set tables correctly.
The St Brendan’s Oitalian restaurant
was a resounding success. VIP
guests, including Parish Priest Fr
Bernard and Principal Rachel Smith
reported having a lovely time being
waited on and served by the Prep
children.
One of Trinity Catholic Primary
School’s three Tournament of Minds
teams won the State Finals of the
competition held at Latrobe University,
Bundoora, on Sunday 16 September.
The team, named “Mini Einsteins”,
comprised three Grade 5s (Joann
Thomas, Pranjal Pokhalekar and Nikiah
Valacos) and four Grade 6s (Makenzie
Stevens, Shannon Noonan, Isabelle
Gore and Shaniya Medonza).
Under the guidance of Trinity’s Deputy
Principal Diana Jans, the students had
a 3-hour lockdown on the Social
Sciences topic “My-Topia.” They were
required to create a perfect society and
explore its long term possibilities for
survival and success. They also had to
compete in a spontaneous challenge.
“I enjoyed working in a different way,
using thinking tools and strategies and
being open to continuous learning,”
said team member Shaniya Medonza. “I
also enjoyed working with different
people.”
The announcement of Trinity as the
winning team had the school’s parents
literally in tears, said Diana Jans.
“I am extremely proud of the team as
they have worked so hard and have all
been so motivated in responsibly
fulfilling their roles to the best of their
ability,” said Diana. “I don’t think I will
ever forget the excitement as they
emerged from the Spontaneous
Challenge so animated and proud of
what they had come up with for the
solution.”
The Trinity team represented Victoria
with pride at the Australasian Pacific
Finals held in Perth on Saturday 20
October.
Mini Vinnies St Gabriel’s, Traralgon
Exploring
Melbourne
Students in Grades 5 and 6 from
Lumen Christi Primary School in
Churchill crammed more of
Melbourne’s attractions into their
three-day camp itinerary than most
tourists manage to visit in a week!
Day One stops included St Patrick’s
Cathedral, Federation Square, the
Melbourne Aquarium, the MCG and
the National Sports Museum. The
day concluded with dinner in Lygon
Street and a visit to the Eureka
Skydeck where many students were
brave enough to try The Edge, a 3-
metre glass cube that protrudes from
the building’s observation deck.
The second day of camp involved a
walk through the Queen Victoria
Markets and an education session
and mine tour at Sovereign Hill,
Ballarat. Despite some enthusiastic
attempts at gold panning, most
students came away empty-handed.
Laser tag and ten pin bowling at
Galactic Circus rounded off the day’s
events.
On the third morning, Lumen Christi
students were able to observe in
both Houses of Parliament while it
was sitting. They were delighted to
see the current Premier walking past
as they were waiting.
A visit to Scienceworks capped off
the very busy but enjoyable camp.
“Camp was great fun,” said Patrick, a
Grade 5 student. “I thought The
Edge, at the Eureka Skydeck, was the
best but it was really scary when you
are up on the eighty-eighth floor.”
Students from St Vincent de Paul
Primary School in Morwell East took
out first and third places in the Bible
Reading Solo section of the Latrobe
Valley Eisteddfod on Monday 27
August. Sophie Lecchino received a
trophy for her win and Sarah O’Brien a
medal for coming third.
Bible reading winners
Student participation in the Mini
Vinnies program at St Gabriel’s Primary
School in Traralgon continues to
increase, with 69 students involved this
year.
An initiative introduced at the school in
2006, Mini Vinnies is a St Vincent de
Paul group for primary students aged
10 years and older. Students in Grades
4, 5 and 6 at St Gabriel’s are invited but
not obligated to participate.
“All students involved have been
outstanding in their commitment,
enthusiasm and willingness to serve
others,” said St Gabriel’s staff member
Ivanka Moulton. “We congratulate them
on their dedication and service.”
The St Gabriel’s Mini Vinnies group
travels fortnightly, using the Lavalla
Catholic College school bus, to O’Mara
House, an aged care facility in
Traralgon. There, Mini Vinnies members
spend time talking, reading, making a
variety of art and craft items, playing
games or doing puzzles with the
residents. Each visit concludes with
students serving afternoon tea to the
residents.
Students’ participation in the program
receives strong support from St
Gabriel’s staff.
“Participating in the Mini Vinnies
program enables our students to put
into practice what they learn in the
classroom about helping and respecting
others,” said Ivanka. “We focus on
positive aspects of our school and
community and how we can make a
difference in our own small or large,
way.”
- 21 -
Over 150 principals, teachers, parents
and Catholic Education Office staff
gathered at the Latrobe Convention
Centre in Traralgon on Tuesday 28
August for the 2012 Diocesan Learning
Expo.
Entitled Enhancing a Culture of Reflective Practice, the Expo was an
opportunity for school practitioners to
showcase and share what is really
making a difference in the way learning
is constructed, supported, documented
and communicated in the Diocese of
Sale. The event built on the success of
the inaugural 2011 Learning Expo.
The now retired Director of Catholic
Education, Peter Ryan, opened the Expo
by challenging participants to consider
the nonlinear nature of contemporary
learning and the implications of this for
teaching.
Thirteen primary schools and four
secondary colleges from across the
Diocese of Sale provided a wide range
of workshops including Creating Independent Learners, Virtual Sandpit Time: Introduction to Apps that Can Be Used in Your Classroom, Powerful Parent Partnerships and Oral Language
Awakening – Talk the Walk.
Participants moved from workshop
session to workshop session, hearing
and viewing many examples of
innovation and creativity from within
the diocesan educational community.
Participant feedback about the event
was consistently positive. “The day
provided an excellent forum for the
sharing of good practice,” wrote one
participant. “This was an excellent array
of professional learning activities which
has inspired my learning in many
different ways,” wrote another.
“The overall success of this expo of
effective teaching and learning was due
to the wonderful cooperation and effort
of so many school practitioners in
sharing what is happening back at their
schools and the consequent impact
upon student learning,” said Education
Officer Barry Soraghan.
The planning group from the Learning
Pathways Team at the Catholic
Education Office was ably assisted by
many other CEO staff in ensuring the
day ran smoothly.
- 22 -
2012 Diocesan Learning Expo
Down the rabbit hole
Students at St James Primary School
in Nar Nar Goon were delighted to
find nine rabbits in the plot they were
clearing to prepare a vegetable patch.
After relocating their furry friends,
students set to work on their major
garden overhaul.
Seeds of plants that are not appealing
to rabbits were sown. This included
chillies, butter beans, asparagus,
peas, zucchinis, seed potatoes,
pumpkin, strawberries, corn and
rhubarb crowns. The plants have
already sprouted and it is expected
that there will soon be a bumper crop.
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