Issue No. 20 - 29 November From the Principal Year 9 Camps Year 9 Camp reports Congratulations to all the Year 9s who made it back safely from their adventure camps last week. They all clambered off the various buses on Friday afternoon, generally grubby and tired out after a week canoeing, white water rafting, rock climbing or hiking. From what they’ve told me they all had a fantastic time and felt really challenged by having to do things outside of their comfort zones. That certainly is the reason we run these camps, and while they aren’t cheap, the value of them is enormous. A very sincere thanks to all of the teachers who volunteered to organise or attend camp, making it possible for our students to have this experience. Please read their reports later in this newsletter, particularly if you are in Year 8 and wondering what you might like to do next year. Mount Arapiles Snowy River Mathematics Competition and Mobile Phones Murray River Uniform Shop Community News IMPORTANT DATES Wednesday 26th to 28th November Year 11 2015 Transition Program Tuesday 2 December Awards Night Monday 15th & 16th December Year 10-11 Reports Collection Thursday 18th December Year 7-9 Reports Collection Summer Vocal Concert Series Congratulations to all of our music students who were involved in the two Summer Vocal Concerts over the last two weeks I was very lucky to have attended the second concert this week and was yet again thrilled to hear how each and every student has developed over their year of lessons. Voices were much stronger and more assured. Words had been memorised and staging and costumes really worked on to make sure we noticed their presence on stage! Sadly I can’t mention every student, but some of the things that stood out for me were the incredible talent we have picked up in Year 7 this year, and how well Meg Bright and Stacey Alexander are singing, to mention just a few. It was also terrific to see three members of the Djordjevic family all singing and I had to wonder about the singing that must happen in their home! The last performer was Catherine Bakker, singing for the last time as a student of Wantirna and was absolutely superb. She sang Your Daddy’s Son from the musical Ragtime. I believe Morgan Salomons, also Year 12, also left a lasting impression with her singing at the first concert. It was great to see Morgan’s last song for the school a duet in this concert with Morgan Tobschall – passing on the baton to the next generation! The audience was treated to the most amazing lighting spectacle in these concerts, courtesy of a backdrop curtain filled with fairy lights that changed colour to match the feel of the song, or what the performer was wearing. Each student was given a different effect and it certainly enhanced the performances. I was certainly disappointed when I heard I’d missed Eranga singing Stars from Les Miserable against the most perfect backdrop for that song in the first concert. A warm thank you to Mr Marten Visser, Ms Beryl Birrell and Mr Andrew Lewis for providing such amazing real life opportunities for our students to shine. While we are on music, a special thank you to Mr Michael Harvey who has already run a music information night and recruitment for Grade 6 students wanting to come into the program next year. I think they will have a lot of amazing experiences ahead of them! If you missed the night, I am sure you can still join up College Vision Wantirna College is committed to educating our students to be inquiring learners with high levels of literacy and numeracy, prepared to be global, ethical citizens in the 21st Century, capable of showing resilience and flexibility of thinking, willing to show initiative and take on challenges throughout their lives. ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 2 From the Principal Book sale It would be great if you could take the opportunity of selling this year’s text books second hand. Please take advantage of the Parents Association book sale by sending your child’s books in to be sold, and then coming along on December 6 th in the morning to purchase next year’s books. Valedictory Dinner If you haven’t yet heard about the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, you haven’t been in Melbourne over the last week! Sadly it has become news for the wrong reasons. It should have been the in news for being the best celebration of the end of six years of schooling, or a celebration of the achievements of a remarkable group of young people, or for celebrating the most outstandingly positive relationships between a group of students and teachers. Because it was certainly all of those things and more. We had a terrific night, with everyone dressed up in their most glamourous outfits and ready to dance. Unfortunately, as you will have heard, about a third of those present became sick after the event. The Health Department is currently investigating the cause of the illness. Whilst the cause was nothing to do with the College, we of course still feel incredibly sad for everyone who became ill. We know it was unpleasant for many and even frightening for some. The only good thing you can say about it is that we have drawn closer together because of it. It is good to hear people starting to make jokes about it, because we know this is a sign of recovery. I have reprinted for you below Micah Maglaya’s College Captain speech delivered on the night. Good evening parents, relatives, teachers, and class of 2014. Thank you all for being here tonight, celebrating with us the end of our journey in high school and what I'd like to call tonight as our graduation day. My name is Micah, and this is Michael, and we are so humbled to be able to call ourselves School Captains for what is no doubt the best school on earth, Wantirna College. Now firstly, I'm going to begin this speech by having the attitude of gratitude, that is, thanking people who's been there for us the whole time and yet I find, we don't get to thank enough. These people are our teachers and mentors at school. I am so thankful that I belong to a school with educators who are committed, kind, patient, caring, inspiring, and who have put their time and effort constantly throughout the year into making sure we get a great education and that we feel confident nearing to our exams. Whilst I can't thank every teacher here tonight and those who weren't able to make it, on behalf of Michael and I, and the rest of year 12, we would like to say thank you for all you've done throughout the year and looking after us in the midst of the stressful times during year 12. Ms Caira and Ms Bennett, thank you for being wonderful coordinators and organizing our year 12 events this year, including creating the program for valedictory tonight. Thank you Ms Sgroi and Mr Newnham, our careers counsellors, for ensuring that we have opportunities to go to once we leave high school and enter the real world. Thank you Mr Macmillan for all your work towards all things VCAL this year. Thank you Ms Pearce and Ms Visser in the later years office for all your behind the scenes work—we all appreciate it. Now for me, I have had the privilege in working with specific teachers and staff the whole year as they put up with my shenanigans. This year, Nicola Rogers and I created a convention called “The Global Justice Convention” where 60 students from across Victorian schools came to learn about, well, global justice. Now, the amount of support and help from teachers and staff that we got, I admit, really overwhelmed me. Ms Bell, Mr Churchward, Mr Bray, Mr Brennan, Ms Jan Costelow, the school's business manager, Ms Tanya Mckenzie, the secretary, Ms Duncan who couldn't be here tonight, and many other teachers and staff, thank you once again. The convention couldn't have been what it was without all your help and support. Now to our principal, Ms Bell, I think the year level and I can agree that we couldn't have asked for a better principal to lead the school with such vision and plans that make our school, our community, just better each year. Since Year 7, Ms Bell has always been student-focussed; and this is coming from first-hand experience. Our principal doesn't hesitate to write us letters of recommendations, support us with applications, and also supports us with attending events. ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 3 From the Principal This year, I have had the honour and privilege to have represented Wantirna College, and be a Victorian Delegate, to the United Nations Youth National Conference in Canberra, where I spent a whole week with just over 100 other students, from around the world, learning about diplomatic affairs and related issues. I couldn't have attended this event without the support of Ms Bell, as the registration fee made me think twice whether or not I can still go. However, this has not been the first time that Ms Bell has given students, like myself, an opportunity to see more of the world and to further develop your passion and skills. 3 years ago, Alyce Cross and I also went to Canberra to meet politicians in regards to ending extreme poverty. Again, this was all possible through the support of my principal. So thank you once again, Ms Bell. As I’ve mentioned earlier, Michael and I are really humbled to have been given the opportunity to lead an amazing group of young people who are intelligent, full of energy, and who have worked together as a team, as a family, through our last year together. Everyday, I am always inspired by my classmates through their dedication and hard work towards something they’re passionate about; whether it is art, music, academics, sport, and out of school things like cosplay. With this, I am truly excited to see what the future holds for class of 2014, and I can’t wait for that time when I can look back and say, “we went to school together!” So class of 2014, thank you for making it a great year. Thank you for all the laughs, the tears, the “oh we’re in trouble” times, and just for all the memories as we stuck together this year to finally come to this moment where we finish our exams—a time that we’ve literally been waiting for, for our entire lives, and the weird feeling as we finally see them gone in a blink of an eye. I really can’t say anything more than just being blessed to have gone through school with all of you here tonight and, of course, those who weren’t able to make it. Thank you for being my family. I will no doubt miss all of you once we start getting busy doing what we’re doing next year! I wish you all the very best. Thank you. Year 10 Formal We hope the Year 10s attending their formal tonight have a really great time! ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Middle Years - Camps Page 4 Leigh Hunter Mount Arapiles When I picked to do the Mount Arapiles camp I really wasn't sure what I was getting into. Rock climbing was never my thing and I was really unsure about camping outdoors in tents. I was wrong! Mount Arapiles camp was one of the most amazing and beautiful experiences I've ever had—the people I met, the views I saw, the challenges I overcame were just amazing. Mount Arapiles was challenging in every aspect. It tested physical and mental ability to overcome fears and the things you don't think you can do. The social aspect of Mount Arapiles was the most enjoyable. I met so many new people and I got closer with others. Not only the students but getting along with the teachers and seeing another side to them was really nice too. I learned so many new things about a lot of stuff and it was simply the best experience, to socialize with people without the use of electronic devices. The environment was with was really comfortable. Rock climbing was one of the great experiences, it was terrifying due to my fear of heights but I did manage to overcome that fear and climbed to my heart's content, or till my fingers bled. Even though my fingers really hurt I couldn't stop myself from just getting back up onto the rocks. Rock climbing wasn't what I thought it was; I thought it was all in the arms and pure strength but it really tests your ability to problem solve and to really put everything into your legs. I constantly looked forward to doing more rock climbing. Rock climbing wasn't the only aspect of this camp. Hiking was something we did a lot too. Hiking may sound really dull and boring but it actually was quite fun. Pushing yourself to get the reward at the end. The reward was always a spectacular view and the views blow your mind. It was the first time that I went hiking and it was amazing. I got a sense of nature and I just let everything sink in. The beautiful skies, the trees and all the wildlife. It made me really appreciate wildlife. This camp was all about challenging yourself and pushing yourself to overcome your fears. It made you do things that you don’t do in everyday life; it's to learn new things and experience the wonders of the world and to enjoy life without the distraction of electronic devices. Without the use of technology, Camp was amazing. People brought happy vibes and I'm 100% sure that everyone who went on this camp really enjoyed it and wished they could've stayed longer. Mount Arapiles was by far the best experience of my life, I have no regrets choosing to do it and I wish we would have stayed longer. I really do recommend this camp to anyone in Year 8 who's looking for a camp where they want to overcome their fears and achieve things that they never thought they would. Thank you Wantirna College for giving this opportunity Darren Lieu 9B ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 5 Middle Years - Camps Leigh Hunter Snowy River There is no way to put Year 9 camp into words. The experience was something that will never come around again. There was not so great food, great people and amazing views. There was always so much to learn every step of the way. White water rafting is something that not everyone gets to do, but we were given the opportunity. While on the water, going down the rapids or walking around the unsafe ones, there was always a way to have fun. The leadership team was great at teaching us new things and keeping us occupied if we hit a slow patch of water. Every rapid, every rock garden, every deep pool, is forever moving, forever changing. It is always different but one thing that will never change are the memories and friends that we took away from this camp. Although we all roughed it a little bit, sleeping on the ground and not always going to sleep as early as we should, we still managed to have fun. By the end of the camp we had all been in the water and had a laugh coming away from the experience with more friends and lots more experience in problem solving. Thanks to Mr Cameron, Arbie, Mike, Gezza, Hamish and Stacey and everyone else who organized the camp. Georgia Drury Year 9 Mathematics Competition Alida Tilley MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 2014 This competition is held in August each year with students from all over Australia, NZ and Singapore participating. 50 of our Middle Years students completed the test paper and again our College produced some very good results with: 21 Credits and 15 Distinctions To achieve a distinction you must be placed in the top 15% of your year level and the following students should be pleased with their performance. Year 7 Top Student - Tahlia Umi (placed in the top 6%) Other distinctions achieved by Josh Diana, Charlotte Eggelton-Brough, Nicole Chan, Ricky Morton and Matthew Carolan Year 8 Top Student Jacey Quan (placed in the top 6%) Other distinctions achieved by Sampavie Sritharan, Anirudhan Kasavaras, Peter Kosmopoulos and Jianghao Liu Year 9 Top Student Helen Zhang (placed in the top 8%) Other distinctions achieved by Vincent Tran. Cameron Mitchell and Bethany Hall Congratulations to all these students and everyone who participated in this event !! ALIDA TILLEY : Competition Organiser Old Mobile Phones Bruce Churward Do you have an unwanted old mobile phone? Students at Wantirna College have proposed that we support underprivileged students overseas by supporting a school in Cambodia. Often what we take for granted is totally beyond the reach of most people in third world countries. If you have an old Mobile and charger that you no longer need, please drop them off to the Library or General Office and we will send them over to Cambodia. This is a student driven initiative and it is wonderful to see students doing something for students. If you can support this initiative please do so. Bruce Churchward (Assistant Principal) ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 6 Murray River ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 7 Uniform Shop Volunteers Needed The Uniform Shop is looking for volunteers to work Wednesdays between 11:30 am – 1:30 pm. If you have the time available on Wednesdays why not come and join our friendly team. No experience is necessary and full training is provided. If you are able to work weekly, fortnightly or even monthly please contact Caroline on 9881 7168 and leave a message or email [email protected]. A working with Children Check and Police Check will need to be completed prior to commencement. PRE-LOVED UNIFORM – Uniform Shop has low stock of second hand items. If you have any unwanted items of current uniform in good saleable condition we will purchase them from you. You will need to bring in the items of uniform and your banking details, (BSB and account number) or email [email protected] for a Second Hand Purchase form. Caroline & Bronwyn. HOURS OPEN: Monday 3.00pm - 5.00pm Wednesday 11.30am - 1.30pm First Saturday in each Term 2.00pm – 5.00pm ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Community News Page 8 ISSUE NO. 20 - 29 NOVEMBER Page 9 Community News Second Knoxfield Scouts are again this year selling Christmas trees as our major fund raiser, for over 10 years we have supplied freshly cut trees to the local community, I was hoping you could let your school community know we will be selling trees from this Saturday. We are located at the Carrington Reserve, which is located next to Bunnings on Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby. Principal: Sue Bell Assistant Principal: Catherine Ford Bruce Churchward Andrew Lewis Sub school: Michael Bray (Later Years) Leigh Hunter (Middle Years) College Council President Craig Henry College Captains: Micah Maglaya Michael Brearley College Vice Captains: Kristine Stanciu Ben Mitchell Parents Association President Dot Roberts Student Absences Hotline Number 9881 7111 Or 9881 7131
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