Newsletter Term 3, Week 10 18 Sept 2020

This is certainly so in the community of Strathcona and as we conclude this very challenging term in one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, I would like to acknowledge and thank you for your endurance and grace through it all – again. Whatever your diverse and unique situation, every person in this community has faced new and ‘unprecedented’ personal, family and business challenge.
I think in the last few weeks, particularly since the Premier’s last announcement there has been a palpable sense of loss – a realisation that we are moving to the end of the year. There is no way that we will quickly morph back to the ‘old normal’ and that what happened will be a strange dream, much as many yearn for this. In time this will happen, of course – we hope and pray in most part by Christmas. But we cannot repaint or rebadge the year – instead I think we should celebrate what we most feel proud of as individuals, as families and as a School.

In schools such as this, there is a strong sense of history and I think in times of crisis there is comfort and reassurance to be gained by looking back at what those before us endured. This School does not go back as far as World War 1, but it held steadfast through the Great Depression, World War 2, and all that transpired through the following decades. Our alumnae who attended during the time of the Second World War, often speak to us of their brothers, fathers, friends and sweethearts at war and the adjustment they had to make in order to psychologically adjust on return.

The situation of this pandemic we are in does not easily bear resemblance as it is so strange, but I do find inspiration by thinking about those who have gone before us. I think about how brave, seemingly cheerful and adaptable they were and how they learned to let go of what was held dear, but in the scheme of a war across continents, was deemed less so. The other day I read that during this time, sale of bright red lipstick boomed (or the use of beetroot, apparently, if there was no lipstick to be found or funds available) – women found a way to control at least something and sought to make themselves feel better and lift the spirits of others. I thought of this, as I caught the sorry sight of myself in one of the thousands of online meetings of the last few months. Have we faded a bit – at least on the outside?

As we ‘lockdown’ on our ‘road map’ for school return plans - as Premier Dan guides us - we shall certainly try to bring as much joy to each other, particularly our students, as we can. Thank you all for the many supportive emails, prayers and messages of gratitude for the incredible work of our teachers. I cannot tell you how much the ‘out of the blue’ message of thanks that pop onto our screens means. I hope as the weather warms, restrictions ease, COVID numbers drop, and the right team wins the Grand Final (albeit in Queensland), there is lift in mood and optimism and we are able to focus  - not so much on what has been lost - but on what has been gained at a deeper more profound level personally, for our families, and for us as a School. At some point in time, we may feel gratitude at what we have learned through this crisis and how we have grown to be better people. Certainly, the class of 2020 have missed many rites of passage in the way they expected, but I hope and pray that at some point in their lives, they feel that they came of age during an historical event and that they carry something with them through life, which makes them wiser for the experience.

I am off for some online red lipstick shopping.

Warm regards
Mrs Marise McConaghy, Principal

In this week's edition, you will find the following information on:

• Dates to Diarise in Term 4
• Richmond Institute of Sports Leadership Information Sessions
• Federation University: Study for a Career in Mining Webinar
• Box Hill Institute: Diploma of Nursing Pathway
• New Courses at RMIT University in 2021
  • Bachelor of Data Science
  • Diploma of Applied Technologies
• Bachelor of Radiation Science (Informatics) at Monash University
• Career in Carpentry & Cabinet Making
• Nursing and/or Midwifery Degree Courses in Victoria in 2020
• Nutrition and Dietetics Courses in Victoria in 2020
• Paramedic Courses in Victoria in 2020
• Medical Imaging Courses in Victoria in 2020

Please click here for this week's Career News. To visit the the Careers page or view previous versions of Careers News click here.

Even though we will be staying at home these holidays we can still travel anywhere with a book!

Senior School students have access to thousands of eBooks from our Wheeler's E-book Library.

Check out your local library for school holiday programs or digital collections of their own.

Boroondara Libraries School Activities; Boroondara Online Collections

Stonnington Libraries What's On; Stonnington eLibrary Collection

Whitehorse Manningham Library What's On; Whitehorse Manningham eLibrary

City of Melbourne Library What's On; City of Melbourne Young Adult Pages

Take your dream holiday....... with an eBook

The Library Team

Here is an overview for you to enjoy!

I have needed to remind the girls again about behaviour online, encouraging them to be mindful of how they are representing themselves and communicating with others in a positive and respectful manner. Your assistance in emphasising this message is greatly appreciated.

Our Year 9 Debaters, under the wise guidance of Mrs Katrina Renard, had the opportunity to participate in a 'friendly' Debate with counterparts from Scotch on Thursday. The group debated the merits of tourism and whether it does more harm than good. We are delighted to see this fiesty, thoughtful and committed group of students honing their argumentative skills further. Great effort Year 9 Debaters!

All Tay Creggan Staff hope that the Year 9 students enjoy a rejuvenating break - spending time off-screen and outside. We cannot wait to be (hopefully) back at Tay Creggan some time in Term 4!

Best wishes,

Mrs Karyn Murray, Head of Tay Creggan

The children have been listening to stories of The Magic Faraway Tree and, as such, they had immersed themselves in a rich imaginative and magical world. I asked them, if they were sitting on the wishing chair and the wings appeared, where would they wish to go? There was a slight pause before everyone responded excitedly with a wish to visit their cousin, grandparents or friends. Not one wish for an ice-cream or lolly shop! They too are missing the warmth from being together.

The Victorian Government announcement of its new Roadmap for reopening Victoria, has filled us with optimism. To be able to return to onsite learning in Term 4 (with appropriate risk mitigation measures in place) provides us with hope as it will be lovely to have all the children here again, laughing, learning ,playing. As such, more detailed information will be communicated to families will follow.

On behalf of the ELC team, I wish to convey our deep appreciation and thanks to all families for what was an extraordinary term. We understand balancing work, schooling and younger children is no mean feat and we are grateful for your support.

Enjoy the term break and hopefully see you soon.

Ms Jo Dowling, Director, Early Learning Centre

This information sheet from the Australian Psychological Society outlines what lockdown fatigue is, in the context of the pervasive impact of COVID-19. Allowing ourselves to grieve the ‘old normal’ and perhaps acknowledge the feeling of being on a ‘corona-coaster’ where we can feel uncertainty around every corner, can’t control the ride or get off when we’ve had enough, and at times may feel overwhelmed.

While lockdown fatigue appears to be a new term, I’m sure it’s a familiar concept that sits alongside ‘zoom fatigue’ and other COVID-19 related experiences. The information provides some insight into what are the causes, how to understand lockdown fatigue, what it feels like and some suggestions on how to manage if you suspect lockdown fatigue might apply to you.

Ms Kerri Rhodes Senior School Psychologist and Ms Sharon Turner, Junior School Psychologist

The youth group has been meeting virtually over zoom with our small group every Friday (during term time) after some worship and a message. Small groups include around 5-10 people in the same year level. During the week we have also been holding optional zoom prayer sessions.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the group via email: youth@crossway.org.au

You can also find the youth group on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossway_youth/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crosswayyouthau

Or just come along on a Friday night at 7.30pm and watch the Youtube livestream! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7StIm1eUf48o9z8qPNEEcQ

Rachel Zhou, Year 8

This award recognises students who demonstrate leadership and teamwork and display strong values, such as doing one’s best, respect for others and “mateship”, characteristics that are integral to Australian society.

The recipients of a Long Tan Youth Leadership & Teamwork Award will receive a certificate and cash awards which are available to selected Year 10 and Year 12 students across Australia.

The awards are designed to encourage senior students – tomorrow’s leaders – to actively participate in the life of their schools and local communities.

Mrs Lucinda Thom, Head of Students

The Olympic Change Maker program is run by the Australian Olympic Committee and recognises and rewards students who are demonstrating the Olympic Spirit through leadership and driving positive change in their communities. Rianna is one of 800 young leaders from Years 10-12 across Australia recognised as part of this program.

Rianna was selected as our Olympic Change Maker for 2020 through an application process earlier in Term 3. Through this application and through her actions at Strathcona and the wider community, Rianna has been able to demonstrate a distinct ability to inspire those around her through her work on and off the field/court in a range of sports. The Olympic Change Maker program’s theme for 2020 is to ‘discover tomorrow’ to which Rianna attributes this to mean the importance of uniting with all individuals, from all walks of life, to overcome adversity now and into the future. Working together, as one, is what is going to lead to a powerful future.

On Thursday of this week, Rianna attended the Olympic Change-Maker Virtual Summit which connected like minded students from around Australia and included many Olympians discussing leadership, how to be a positive force for change and overcoming challenges. 

Congratulations to Rianna for being a well-deserved recipient of this award and we look forward to watching what she can continue to do in this space in the future.

Ms Keira Wills, Head of Sport

Liza submitted a piece of artwork in the 13-15 year old age range for The Young Archie Competition. It has been announced she is a finalist and her artwork is currently on display at the Gallery of NSW. Winners will be announced in mid October! Good luck Liza!

Visit the Gallery of NSW to view Liza's artwork.

Click here to have a look at our products, when making a purchase you will need to include the password of: taycreggan.

Thank you to our Strathcona family and friends for your support.

Read about alumnae experience on the frontline of the pandemic, how our students and staff rose to the challenge of continuous online learning, and how Year 7 students and artist in residence created the artwork In the Garden of Dreams. We would love to hear what your favourite article is.

Have you downloaded the Girls Unstoppable podcast? If not, visit podcasts on your device and search Girls Unstoppable.

Please join us for this special parent webinar on Body Confident Children and Teens presented by the Butterfly Foundation. With a focus on prevention, this session will provide information and practical tips to help parents better understand and promote positive body image in the home.

We will explore:

• Overview of body image and the importance of prevention
• Key influences on body image, including social media
• The impact of diet culture and weight stigma
• Reducing appearance talk and how to respond when a child expresses negativity towards themselves/others
• The power of role modelling positive body image and healthy behaviours
• Understanding warning signs and the importance of early intervention
• What to do if you are concerned.

This is suitable for: Carers of primary and secondary age children.

Please note this session is not designed for children to attend or for those caring for someone with an eating disorder.

Register your details below and closer to the date we will email the link and instructions on how to join this webinar.

Please join us for this exciting seminar being held next Monday commencing at 7pm.

Strathcona's Centre for Learning Futures is excited to announce that Nicole Eckels, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sapphire Group (including Glasshouse Fragrances and Circa Home Brands) will be our next guest speaker to talk about about Turning your Dream into a Living. She has experience with setting up her own business and she will talk about what is required and the challenges she faced while doing this. We hope you can join us to hear Nicole speak.

Thank you to everyone who has registered, here is the link you will need to join on Microsoft Teams:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjMwM2YwY2QtYTQ3Ny00OTQ4LTgzM2YtZDYzYTA3OGYwY2Jl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22f32a0f6a-f56b-4103-9206-c7a2193463d0%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ebc8efc0-6cb4-4319-abb6-75f3a1b22085%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d

If you haven't registered but would still be interested in joining, please use the link above to join.

We will be commencing right on 7pm so please try the above link 5-10 minutes before the start in case there are any problems.