黄色十大软件

Covid-19 Lockdown Ends

It was pleasing to see all students return to face-to-face learning today after the recent lockdown and I want to congratulate them for their application during this period of remote learning. I also want to say thank you to the staff who have continued to demonstrate that they are highly adaptable and committed to seeing their students progress. While we return to face-to-face learning it is with some restrictions remaining in place for at least another week that will limit the opportunities for excursions and visitors onsite. Students must continue to wear a mask indoors and when travelling on public transport and are required to continue good hygiene practices such as routinely washing hands, not sharing food and using non-contact greetings. Students must not attend school if unwell and, if the symptoms are Covid-like, they should be tested. Those with underlying conditions, like hayfever and asthma, should attend school unless their symptoms are different or worse than usual.

Changes to Upcoming Events

The end of Term 2 hosts a number of special programs at virtually every year level and over recent days there has been great uncertainty as to how many events would be able to proceed as planned given lockdown restrictions. With the exception of events requiring interstate travel which have had to be postponed, we are cautiously optimistic that most of the other programs will be able to proceed either as planned or with minor modifications. The Heads of School will notify families as we are able to further confirm arrangements over coming days.

Announcement by Fr Tony Doran

Fr Tony Doran announced to parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ringwood last weekend that the Archbishop had appointed him to the parish of Strathmore effective 14 July 2021. Fr Tony has been a wonderful support to 黄色十大软件 in his role as President of the Association of Canonical Administrators and chaplain. As a trained secondary school teacher himself, Fr Tony has insight into the nature of the work undertaken by teachers and the important role that the Catholic school plays in furthering the mission of the church and we wish Fr Tony well in his new assignment. There has been no announcement as to a replacement for Fr Tony at the time of writing.

Annual Report to the College Community

An aspect of our compliance with the requirements of the Australian Government is the publication of an Annual Report to the College Community. The report reflects our very full and diverse program at Aquinas and also shows the progress that is being made in terms of improving student outcomes and the learning environment. I would like to thank all who contributed to ensure that we have produced a comprehensive account of a really different and challenging 2020 academic year at Aquinas and to Ms Madeleine Kalla who compiles this report. The report is published on the .

School Advisory Council

The School Advisory Council conducted a virtual meeting on Tuesday evening and Chair, Mr Paul Ayton, commenced by acknowledging that this was the last meeting for Fr Tony Doran and offered thanks for his generous service to the School Advisory Council. Fr Tony expressed some sadness in leaving Ringwood, but also a new challenge as Archbishop Comensoli calls on Parish Priests to serve clusters of parishes to help address a decline in numbers of ordained ministers. Mr Ayton also wanted me to thank the staff for their efforts to continue to support the students during this recent period of lockdown.  He also wanted members to know that in achieving accreditation with the Council of International Schools(CIS), and with such a glowing report, we should be looking for opportunity to celebrate in our broader community our achievements. To this extent, the School Advisory Council will dedicate its Seminar Evening in late July to unpacking the CIS Report and our next School Improvement Plan.

Junior Musical

The Junior Musical has had to be postponed due to restrictions on visitors and is rescheduled for August 25th, 27th and 28th.

Year 7 Enrolment Reminder

A reminder to our families that applications for enrolment in Year 7 for 2023 close on Friday August 20 and that we will not presume that you wish to enrol your Year 5 child just because you have an older child currently enrolled at the College. Please contact the College Registrar, Ms Madeleine Kalla on 9259 3008, should you have any questions.

Illuminare - 60th Birthday edition

In recognition of 黄色十大软件's 60th anniversary we have started preparations for a commemorative edition of Illuminare which is due out in mid Term 3. If you are an Aquinas Alumni and have not joined our alumni contact list, I would encourage you to do so . Our Marketing and Development Team will be reaching out shortly to our alumni group inviting them to share stories, memories, photos and archival material. If you would like any further information please contact alumni@aquinas.vic.edu.au.

Advance Notice

Term 3 commences for all students on Tuesday, July 13.  Monday, July 12 is a designated Staff Professional Learning Day and is therefore a student free day. Teaching staff will be continuing their professional development in regards to Restorative Practices, and Visible Thinking. Thank you for your continued support.

Darren Atkinson
Principal

This Lighthouse article is an encore version of some work I did with Year 11 students three years ago. It seems very relevant as students either prepare for exams, tasks that will reflect on their understanding or consolidate knowledge that will be assessed at the end of the year. In the article I reflect on how I had talked to the Year 11 cohort of 2018 as they were preparing for exams:

"I had the opportunity to talk to Year 11s about their upcoming exams and what to do to get ready. We discussed the timeline and how they can attack the preparation, but I was most interested in sharing the research that exists about exam preparation and what are the best things for a student to do to get ready for an exam and, more importantly, to practice getting their learning ready. I used two references, and a by Hendrick and Caviglio that share a common perspective about preparing for exam assessment. 

In the Brown text the authors were very clear about what they thought learning was, 鈥�...when we talk about learning: we mean acquiring knowledge and skills and having them readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities.鈥� 

This summarises really well why revision is so important, not just to pass, although we all want to do this but to make sense of future problems and take advantage of future opportunities.

We started by talking about what we all do AND what does not work very well, rereading text books and notes and highlighting passages. There are two problems with this strategy, it is not active enough to make it stick and by the time we are getting ready for exams it is more important to practice retrieving the information rather than inputting even more. To really get the ideas ready a student needs to be transforming content and spacing out the activities. The research argues

鈥淩ereading text and massed practice of a skill or new knowledge are by far the preferred study strategies of learners of all stripes, but they鈥檙e also among the least productive. By massed practice we mean the single-minded, rapid-fire repetition of something you鈥檙e trying to burn into memory, the 鈥減ractice-practice-practice鈥� of conventional wisdom. Cramming for exams is an example. Rereading and massed practice give rise to feelings of fluency that are taken to be signs of mastery, but for true mastery or durability these strategies are largely a waste of time.鈥� Make It Stick. 

The consensus is that learning needs effort.

鈥淟earning is deeper and more durable when it鈥檚 effortful. Learning that鈥檚 easy is like writing in sand, here today and gone tomorrow.鈥� Make It Stick 

So what should we do instead? What works more effectively for most people is

• Practising retrieval
• Questioning and elaboration
• Spaced Practice and Interleaving

Retrieval practice means trying to remember what you have learned (see how this is active), so when you sit your test it comes readily to mind. An example might be:

1. Make a list of the important info you need for a topic
2. Close the resource and create a quiz for yourself
3. Try to retrieve everything you have committed to memory
4. Self correct

Caviglioli and Hendrick, Student Study Guide Poster

鈥淩etrieval practice—recalling facts or concepts or events from memory—is a more effective learning strategy than review by rereading. Flashcards are a simple example. Retrieval strengthens the memory and interrupts forgetting. A single, simple quiz after reading a text or hearing a lecture produces better learning and remembering than rereading the text or reviewing lecture notes. While the brain is not a muscle that gets stronger with exercise, the neural pathways that make up a body of learning do get stronger, when the memory is retrieved and the learning is practiced. Periodic practice arrests forgetting, strengthens retrieval routes, and is essential for hanging onto the knowledge you want to gain.鈥�

Make It Stick

Once you have a lot of material you should ask questions about it and you should make connections, so that you elaborate on the knowledge. This is called questioning and elaboration. So when a character, Macbeth, says, 鈥淚s this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand?鈥� we can ask questions like

1. Why does William Shakespeare use imagery here?
2. What does this reveal about Macbeth at this point?
3. How does this connect to what we know of Macbeth?

By elaborating rather than just narrating we build greater knowledge on the text and are more likely to remember it and produce a higher order response.

Caviglioli and Hendrick, Student Study Guide Poster

鈥淚f you鈥檙e just engaging in mechanical repetition, it鈥檚 true, you quickly hit the limit of what you can keep in mind. However, if you practice elaboration, there鈥檚 no known limit to how much you can learn. Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know.鈥� Make It Stick

The last idea is about how to organise the sessions and there are two parts, spaced practice and interleaving. There are two things here a student should do

• Space out your sessions on one subject so that there is time in between for you to process what you have learned. (Spaced Practice)
• Undertake other subjects in between so that you mix up what you are studying. (Interleaving)

鈥淲hen you space out practice at a task and get a little rusty between sessions, or you interleave the practice of two or more subjects, retrieval is harder and feels less productive, but the effort produces longer lasting learning and enables more versatile application of it in later settings.鈥� Make It Stick.  

The example I used with the Year 11s as a metaphor was about meals. We try to balance out the food we like with the food we need and at the right times; breakfast, lunch, evening meal and treat. Unplanned, our study often becomes a day of only breakfasts, or lunches, or worse, a week of just treats. It is really important to balance these out.

If a student keeps the goals in mind, 鈥渉aving (ideas) readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities,鈥� and that learning requires effort on the part of the learner, study and preparation are essential elements of success.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

The effects of 2020: let鈥檚 talk about a concerning matter

Anyone living in the wonderful State of Victoria could be excused for feeling fatigued and challenged by the impact that the current state of affairs presents. Many of those in our community continue to deal with the long lasting impact that the restrictions and lockdowns have imposed in our lifestyles and motivation to continue to aspire and achieve our best. Yet, it is important to not lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel and to work hard in order to achieve our goals. 2020 was challenging, and the emotional outcomes of the long periods of lockdowns are still impacting some students today. 

I recently visited all Year 12 Mentor classes to offer some advice to the students. I asked them to consider their roles as leaders of the College and to be the fine examples that they are required to be, considering that the rest of the College will be returning to face to face learning, and that being a fine example will assist the community in understanding the expectations of our students as young citizens. There is no denying that the students, particularly those that have been attending face to face classes during the last week, like the rest of us, are tired of the uncertainty and challenges that continually emerge. 

Today I wish to discuss two key points for your consideration. The first one is about the return to school and how you may assist your child in their resuming of face to face learning back at school. Although I will give you some advice on this, I am confident that you are now experts, considering the amount of times that you have aided your child鈥檚 return in the last 15 months. A quick search on the internet to seek advice on the current restrictions will outline what is commonly known and what the College has already communicated, that students need to adhere to wearing a mask inside and out, while at school and on their way to and from school. I also recommend that you provide them with extra masks, just in case their mask breaks. There are many other matters that have been or may be altered in our learning schedules so that we adhere to the expectations from the authorities and this may affect the last weeks of term for your children. I suggest that you communicate with your child and their teachers if unsure and always check our COVID-19 updates on the College website which can be accessed here.

Your child鈥檚 Team and Year Level Leaders, together with the respective Heads of Years will keep your child updated on specific information about their programs. In addition, I suggest that as your child returns to school, you discuss with them the importance of making the most of their time at the College upon returning. Please encourage them to speak with their subject teachers to ensure that they are up to date with their assigned work, seek support if needed, follow the specific COVID-19 restrictions as they apply to the College, follow all other rules and most importantly, do all they can to remain safe and well. I also suggest that at home, your child gets plenty of rest, uses time to complete any required work and has the opportunity to share with you their experiences at school. 

The second topic that I wish to present to you seems to have generated interest amongst researchers and government agencies due to its alarming nature and subsequent consequences. The topic is the surge of pornographic viewing, leading to possible addiction amongst young people during and post 2020, and the clear links that researchers have drawn to the pandemic, with concerns for the inevitable effects it has had on personal development. Although this topic area seems confronting and perhaps may be even foreign to you, there is evidence through extensive research that the impact of the pandemic has led to a surge in interest in pornography amongst young people who unfortunately have had much greater access to it during stages of lockdowns and the freedom of communication that the world wide web provides. This is not an issue specific to Australia, or Victoria for that matter, but is something that globally has grown to become an alarming concern for parents, governmental agencies, physical and mental health practitioners and educators. It is important to note that the existence of pornography has been around for a long time, and that young people had access to this prior to the pandemic. What is worth noting however, is the reported surge in accessibility, the exposure and sharing of such material amongst young people, and the creation of images and videos by young people involving themselves as a way to gain recognition, acceptance and validity in a world that may be so foreign to them. What some young people appreciate about themselves or others, is the visual that can be created to illustrate sexualised behaviours in the form of self made pornography. This is not to say that your child is involved or is even aware of such experiences, but it is always important to educate them on the impact that such behaviour can lead to. 

The act of requesting or sharing images or any form of sexualised media can lead to serious consequences for young people. Firstly, anything shared that puts the child in a vulnerable position can be used in many unfortunate ways, leading to a loss of control about the distribution and use of the media and the possibility that the actions are punishable by the law. Information about sexting and other forms of such behaviour in relation to the law are succinctly explained by the Victorian Legal Aid Service . Unfortunately, the act of sexting is an issue experienced amongst some young people, and can lead to intervention by the authorities if the activity is deemed to be criminal. Poor role modelling by others, the use of sexualised behaviour to market products, fashion, music, the pressures that society places on young people to be shaped in certain ways, look a certain way and present themselves in certain ways all account for the pressures that young people face today. Recent documentaries about pornography and the sexualised world outline an increase in adult young people, predominantly females, seeking compensation and sponsorship from fans to fund them for exchange of images or videos. The pressures faced by young people may contribute to the person feeling forced to conform to their perceived expectations in order to fit in or seek acceptance, or worse, seek a quick dollar at the expense of their dignity. This, thankfully, is not the experience of all young people, but let me assure you that the pressures are real and making mistakes in any poor choice is only a natural consequence of growing up for many. A quick search on the internet seeking information on what I have just claimed will lead you to many terrible stories and experiences faced by vulnerable young people. 

My purpose is not to alarm you but rather offer you facts, present concerns and outline some strategies for your consideration if discussing the dangers of pornography is not something that you have considered to date. I appreciate that this suggestion may come across as intrusive but I please ask you to consider the dangers that your child faces each time they navigate  through the internet. Please find a great resource for young people and parents on the . Although the site 鈥淚t鈥檚 time we talk鈥� is full of great advice, it can also be misleading to young people and may challenge their personal values. For this reason, I do not endorse it to be accessed by young people alone but rather encourage you to navigate some of the content so that you may support your child in understanding the key messages when it is appropriate to do so. Please also consider that the College has an excellent respectful relationships program which is delivered through the Health and Physical Education faculty and in the students鈥� pastoral care programs. Perhaps chatting with them about this is a starting point.

It is reported that in 2020, the most visited websites world wide had three pornographic sites in the top 10. These sites were visited at a higher frequency than Amazon, Netflix and eBay. In 2021 thus far, the top 10 sites are 3 offering social media/network, 2 are pornographic sites, 2 are search engines and the rest are Wikipedia, YouTube and news/media sites. These statistics are alarming considering that the accessibility to pornography is not as restricted as it should be. The key reasons why are quite logical as in essence, pornography may help normalise sexual abuse, aggression and coercion amongst young people coming to terms with sexuality. Experts suggest that for many young people, pornography has become a default sex educator, potentially conceptualising the understanding of it, shaping expectations of others in connection to a wrongful view of sex and this may lead to alarming and potentially dangerous experiences of sex and sexualised behaviours. 

For those of you interested in the field of biology, and have an interest in brain development amongst young people, you may know that the teenage brain is highly focused on the reward and pleasure circuit, commonly known as the reward system. Basically, young people seek pleasure and explore ways to find excitement by partaking in repetitious activities that may be considered dangerous by adults. Jumping from substantial heights, skateboarding in dangerous places, seeking thrills and exploring what may be considered taboo are common practices that perhaps most people do in their lifetime. However, as you may yourself remember growing up, teenagers seem to embrace this more than adults. This is because through the use of neurotransmitters, named dopamine, their bodies send messages to the brain that stimulate their desire to seek reward in the form of pleasure. Put simply, young people are more likely to injure themselves when playing sport, have accidents when driving and engage in dangerous activities when compared to their parents as they seek the thrill that such activities may bring. Unfortunately, during times of social isolation, with the possibility of loneliness, stress and uncertainty, developing brains may have found social media and adult material as stimulating, leading to a behavioural pattern that quickly transforms itself into an obsessive practice or perhaps addiction, to seeking content that the brain may not be able to understand. As we all know, pornography tends to be unrealistic, humiliating and disrespectful to begin with. 

Peaks in reward seeking behaviours are found in the teenage years and this makes the period both challenging and rewarding. As we all know, with the right support and guidance, most people grow into law-abiding, compassionate and respectful citizens and go on to lead positively contributing lives in society. The challenges that our youth face in the highly sexualised world that has been created for them need to be addressed in partnership; led by parents and supported by schools and other support networks. It is essential that you discuss the impact that social media and adult content can have on the developing brain with your child. It is also important that use of technology is done in a considerate way as it accounts for the imminent dangers that I have presented to you. As the motion towards consent education welcomes a desire for change, we must remember that the education of respectful relationships begins at home, is supported by the College through its valuable programs and must be embraced by the students in their actions. Most importantly, students must know to respect themselves and be respectful of the world they live in. You will find many resources on the eSafety Commissioner website which may be when looking at the opportunities and dangers that the internet provides. 

Life post the lockdowns continues to be challenging, perhaps as result of the notion that our society is fatigued. Your child may be tired, may have experienced degrees of isolation and may be growing up not just in degrees of uncertainty but in a world that seems to forget to value the person for their dignity, human value and holiness. Ensuring that they remain safe from the dangers of pornography, wrongful social media and predatory behaviour is essential as you prepare them for the challenges they will face in their adult life as a positive contributor of our wonderful society. As always, I welcome your comments, questions and feedback. May God bless you and best of luck as your child returns to face to face learning at our wonderful College.

Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Deputy Principal

The Sacred Heart of Jesus        

Today we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a recognised day of solemnity. The readings focus on the love God has for his people through the sacrifice of his son Jesus. This reminds me of an ethical dilemma that was once discussed during an Ethics class where a man who operates a drawbridge, discovers his son is playing in amongst the mechanisms as a train loaded with people is coming. The father needs to choose between the life of his son and the lives of the passengers. The concept is overwhelming and there can be no right or wrong answer. 

We all make sacrifices for those we love, some big, some small, especially for our family. Be it time, money, food, health or experience, we often hear about people who give up something to help another. If it is something big that makes the news, such as a parent donating a kidney to a child, there is always admiration and praise. Yet what about the smaller, unseen sacrifices that can occur around us? God himself made a huge sacrifice to ensure our salvation. After more than 2000 years - is this sacrifice being taken for granted or not recognised for what it was and still is today?

There are two gospel acclamations to choose from for today's reading and both provide an opportunity to pause and reflect. I will leave you with these two acclamations:

Take my yoke upon you, says the Lord; and learn from me, for I am meek and gentle of heart.

and

God first loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

This week, I introduce two new staff members to 黄色十大软件 to you.

John Watson studied a  Bachelor of Outdoor and Environmental Education through La Trobe university then worked as a residential mentor with Ballarat Clarendon College on King Island. Before joining Aquinas he was working as a camp leader with Gippsland Grammar and Caulfield Grammar, and as a Humanities teacher at MLC last year. John has travelled through Asia visiting Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Japan following the Formula 1 racing circuit. Outside of school his hobbies include cars, golf and gardening. John鈥檚 family are originally from England and New Zealand. His mum owns and lives on the family farm and his dad works in the electricity business. John  enjoys talking about shared interests with people and is always up for a chat. John has found the atmosphere at Aquinas to be fantastic, as everyone is very supportive and professional. He has found the  students to be very capable and show an interest in bettering themselves.

Caitlin Stewart studied Food Science and Nutrition at Deakin University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching at  RMIT. Before joining 黄色十大软件 Caitlin worked at  Lite 鈥榥 Easy in Food Safety, and at Billanook College as a Food Studies Teacher. Caitlin is keen to travel after lockdown, and when restrictions are lifted she would like to go to WA to get a quokka selfie! Caitlin is very pleased to have been welcomed into the Aquinas community and is so appreciative of the beautiful grounds and facilities, especially the Cafe and Hospitality/ Kitchen facilities. She is also grateful for the support and assistance of her colleagues. Caitlin鈥檚 hobbies include, going for walks, shopping and of course she loves to cook!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to join Ms Weltner鈥檚 Year 9  PE class at Bayswater Roller City for a skating session. A great session was had by all on blades and skates ( I鈥檓 an old school skate girl!). The bittersweet end to this story is that the Rink is closing after 44 years. I know for many of our local families ( and parents reading here) it will hold some great memories. A sad loss for our local community and we wish the staff and roller hockey team all the best in finding a new home.

Gina Goss
Assistant Principal - Staff

World Environment Day 5th June 鈥� Student celebrations and activities postponed

World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. The theme for this year鈥檚 World Environment Day is 鈥楨cosystem Restoration鈥� and marks the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

Did you know, we are losing over 4.7 million hectares of forest a year? That is an area larger than Denmark! Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks, like forests and peatlands, at a time humanity can least afford it. Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown and the planet is one pace for the disruptions of climate change.

The emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. By reducing the area of natural habitat for animals, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens 鈥� including coronaviruses 鈥� to spread. Ecosystems are defined as the interaction between living organisms - plants, animals, people - with their surroundings. This includes nature, but also human-made systems such as cities or farms. 

SOLUTIONS

Ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking. It means restoring large areas of land, so that people have access to food, clean water and jobs. It means bringing back plants and animals from the brink of extinction. We can start in our own spaces and local environment.

What can you specifically do? Importantly, it also includes the many small actions everyone can take, every day: growing trees, greening our cities, rewilding our gardens or cleaning up rubbish at school, alongside rivers and coasts and making ethical consumer choices. Participating in local events also contributes in a positive way to improving our local environments.

The UN Environment Program support in Australia - Gondwana link Project

One program is the Gondwana link Project in Western Australia. It aims to reconnect country across south-western Australia, from the wet forests in the south west corner to the dry woodlands and mallee bordering the Nullarbor Plain, in which ecosystem function and biodiversity are restored and maintained. This program protects habitats, improves ecosystem health and supports First Nation communities.

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

In 2021, the Humanities continues to provide Aquinas students with a diverse choice of subjects from Year 7 to VCE. The Humanities team of teachers bring their diverse expertise in Commerce and Humanities, and continue to demonstrate their passion for their subjects, care for their students and teamwork to ensure students鈥� learning experiences are broad, challenging, engaging and related to real-life experience.

Our Year 7 Humanities students have demonstrated resilience, creativity and engagement in their studies through the undertaking of their Ancient History Assignment partly during lockdown. One aspect of their assignment was to re-create an artefact from their chosen ancient civilisation and present their knowledge and understanding of it to the class. Amazing work has been undertaken despite the limitations presented to them. Congratulations to the Year 7 students and their teachers.

In Semester 1, the study of Geography continued to allow students to engage with their local community through fieldwork to gain a greater understanding of the relationships between people and their environments. Year 10 Geography students conducted fieldwork in the CBD visualising and analysing urban planning renewal, in particular along the Yarra River, by the City Of Melbourne, and how both built and natural environments have impacted the wellbeing of the residents of our city. Year 11 Geography students conducted fieldwork studies in the Toolangi State Forest and Kinglake focussing on the Black Saturday fires. Through field sketches and recorded observations students investigated and compared the the impacts the event had on the old growth forest in Toolangi and the relatively new forest at Kinglake. Our Year 12 students investigated the Harcrest Estate development in Wantirna South to explain and assess land use change in our local communities through interviews with local residents, small business owners and town planners.

The Humanities team are focussed and excited to continue offering diverse subjects to allow student choice and engagement throughout 2021 and beyond.

Steve O'Brien
Humanities Learning Area Leader

Year 10 Visual Communication - Digital students were required to strengthen the brand of a fictional company MYSOX, by designing a new logo for the company and an innovative package for a new line of socks. The purpose of the package was to inform the audience of its contents and advertise the product. The purpose of the logo was to promote the MySOX brand.

Each student was provided with  a different pair of socks and hence their package designs were unique, imaginative and directed towards a varied audience. Students developed excellent skills implementing Adobe Illustrator which was used for their final presentations. Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard vector graphics app that lets you create logos, icons, drawings, typography, and complex illustrations for any medium.

Sharon Harte
Teacher

Preparing our students to be innovators, problem solvers and effective communicators

Within the Year 9 Science Curriculum, students have the choice to select from two science electives to complement their core Science program, these being 鈥楩uture Sciences鈥� and 鈥楶lanet Science鈥�. These electives allow students to develop key scientific skills including working within the engineering design process, designing and conducting scientific investigations and communicating scientific ideas effectively.

As part of the Future Sciences program, students have been busy working on their Science Talent Search (STS) projects. These projects will then be entered into the Science Talent Search Competition, an annual, science-based competition run by the Victorian Science Teachers Association of Victoria. The competition is open to all primary and secondary students in Victoria.

As part of their STS projects, students were given the choice to either conduct an experimental research investigation or create a working scientific model.  After an initial brainstorming activity, students then had to develop a concept for their project, undertake some background research, plan and conduct their own investigation, and then produce a scientific report. This was easier said than done and students faced some challenges along the way. 

To support students in their quest, we were fortunate to have some external expertise on board, including Dr Chris Hulston from the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) who was able to assist Lucas Mandaliti with his investigation on monitoring CO2 levels in the classroom, Dr Gary Clark from La Trobe University who assisted Grace Bettiol and Paige Andrews with their study on improving the quality of Bacchus Marsh soil, and Evan Chachos & the CLASS Sleep Study Team at Monash University who assisted Charlotte Green with her research on sleep patterns in teenagers.

We were absolutely amazed by the range of topics students chose to research.  Here is what some of our students had to say about their work….

Lucas Mandaliti: 鈥淭he project I am working on is about the effect of CO2 on the brain. I'm excited to learn about this topic because I've always wondered why I sometimes felt tired, and sometimes energetic in a classroom, seemingly randomly. I've found it challenging to find what I should do next in this project, but I have been taught a lot about how to make a scientific investigation.鈥�

Lacey Moyle: 鈥淭he project I鈥檓 working on is a small step towards a more eco-friendly world. My partner, Tamzin Dennis and I have been working towards creating a biodegradable urn out of Melaleuca Quinquenervia bark, more commonly known as paperbark. While creating our design, we decided to incorporate seeds into the outer layers of the design with the intention of eventually creating a memorial forest where these urns can be buried and a plant can grow from the ashes of the deceased. I love Future Sciences and would highly recommend this subject to anyone who is looking for freedom of creativity in science.鈥�

Patrick Doherty: 鈥淢y experiment for Future Sciences is to find the amount of methane that is produced from the anaerobic digestion of different organic wastes. What excites me about this experiment is that I can create an experiment that is entirely my own idea. What is challenging about this experiment is that it is very hard having to work from home and collect data without my teacher helping me in person.鈥�

Bella Schneiders: "The project Sam Norman and I have developed is an AI software and an animation that depicts a nanotechnology based 鈥榩ill鈥�. It can read your blood pressure and heart rate, and transfer that information to our software, then relay it to people who are hard of hearing, thanks to its verbal capabilities. Our project is another perspective on AI and how far it can go to help people who suffer from high blood pressure and increased heart rate. The fact that we have the ability to create this technology is what excites Sam and I. We have both discovered challenges with this project, issues with the code, learning new software and more, but we both managed to adapt and overcome the problems."

Riley Nester: "My partner (Tata Prasad) and I are working on how different food sources affect the growth of slime mould. The thing I am most excited about in this investigation is seeing how the slime mould grows. The thing I have found most challenging is keeping the slime mould from getting other moulds on it."

We wish the students much success as they conclude their projects over the coming weeks and submit to the Science Talent Search Competition.

Mrs Hawkes and Dr Hulston 
Future Sciences Team

The Year 8 Maths probability carnival involves students working collaboratively to design and building a carnival game to investigate chance. 

Earlier this term students were able to share their games with their class, collecting data to compare the theoretical chance of winning with the results of the carnival.

Erin Cumming
Middle Years Maths Coordinator

Please note: some of these photos were taken prior to the mandatory requirement for masks to be worn and some were taken just before the recent lockdown.

Once again, our Aquinas Long Walk needed to become an online event. With the support of student leadership, everyone had the opportunity to listen and watch the assembly section in their homerooms or mentor groups. Reconciliation week and the Aquinas Long Walk are about advocacy and action. This year鈥檚 theme was 鈥淢ore Than a Word鈥� and by educating each other and the broader community about our First Nation peoples issues and what true reconciliation means, we can grow united as a community.

This year we also invited everyone to go out for a walk during their two our exercise time allowed during the latest lockdown, and take a photo of their walk. We are hoping we may be able to walk together later in the year to still show our support for reconciliation in person.

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal Mission

During Term 2, Year 11 and 12 students, Mrs Daley and Ms McKernan have met several times with the aim of developing initiatives and strategies to increase Student Voice. The key questions for our initial meetings were:

• How do we increase authentic student voice?
• What opportunities can we utilise?
• What do students want?
• How do we enable true voice and students to raise matters they want answers to?

At the meetings, students have collaboratively discussed the ways in which we can incorporate student feedback into the school. Implemented initiatives include the 鈥楶ost-it Wall鈥�, a literal and figurative window of opportunity in which students can write their thoughts, opinions and ideas for the school on a sticky-note for the rest of the student cohort, including teachers, to see. 

We have also started running 鈥楥onversation Corners鈥� in which once a week students can start a discussion about a chosen topic to learn more or voice their opinions. Teachers have been on hand to assist with answering any questions students have. 

Year 12 will soon have a Student Voice Assembly where many of the issues and concerns placed on the Post-It Wall will be discussed.  With more initiatives to come, these initiatives are valuable for increasing the student voice within the year levels. 

It has been extremely beneficial for the student cohort to be able to express the matters that mean the most to them. We believe that good change will result from this. 

Flynn Wilkinson and Charlise Smith

Year 10 and 11 students are invited to enter the . The tournament consists of a period of testing and experimenting in school / at home, followed by the final competition at the University of Melbourne. This would be an excellent opportunity for interested students to enhance their university applications should they wish to enter science or engineering courses. For more information, or to register your interest, please email Mr. Mulholland (mulhollanddj@aquinas.vic.edu.au) or Mrs. Schulz  (schulzlg@aquinas.vic.edu.au)

Schools are funded to support students with disabilities through the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) on school students with disabilities. NCCD has widened the students supported  to include any student with a disability, who is identified as requiring regular adjustments to their learning within the classroom, over a 10-week period each year. Schools receive funding for students based on whether they have received adjustments from their teachers in learning environments at a supplementary, substantial or extensive level. These adjustments might be delivered through ESS, Health Centre, YFC or Team Leaders/Year level leaders or Heads of School. These adjustments are made in conjunction with the student and or parents.

There are four broad categories of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory and social-emotional. 

Some students with a disability require adjustments to be made to their learning but these adjustments are managed within the usual classroom environment, without any additional resources.These students are included in the NCCD within the level of Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP). Whilst the school receives no additional funding for these students, including them in the data is essential for Government long term planning.

The data regarding student adjustments is collected through a variety of methods and is submitted by teachers before August each year. This data is then reviewed by the school and the CEM before it is submitted for the NCCD. This is an Australia-wide, mandatory government collection of data. 黄色十大软件 is supported by NCCD consultants through Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) in guiding our collection of data. Further information can be obtained or please contact MJ Chard, Director of Education Support Services. 

Our 2021 Tinnies for Vinnies Appeal has begun and this year we are asking each member of the Aquinas Community to donate "2 cans" or two items to the appeal. Each year level has been allocated a different focus list. Please see the relevant list below. Any donated items must be non-perishable.