Newsletter Term 4, Week 3 22 Oct 2020

On Friday, my husband and I had a zoom dinner with a few Queensland friends. With the US election looming, we thought it would be fun to speak with them, one of whom is particularly ardent about American history and politics and the others all have opinions on everything and love their history and politics too. Usually those dinners are loud, long and full of laughter; we have well over three decades of sharing them together now. But this dinner was a bit different. Our friends clearly did not want to bombard us with stories of lunches shared, beaches visited, road trips had and the very normal lives they are living again now. I suppose they were conscious of the pressure they knew I would be under and that Craig had lost most of his work for the year owing to jury trials being halted. The preoccupation for the evening was not the US, but Australia, and how our country might move forward for the sake of the next generation and, for us, particularly our children who we all helped each other raise.

When explaining Victoria’s situation to friends and family interstate, it could be described as being in a perpetual state of pause. It feels like we are all passengers on a boat moored slightly off shore, bobbing listlessly in stagnant water, forced to watch on as the rest of the country basks in the simple freedoms not available to us. It does not really matter whom the media is deciding to blame because very little has changed since March, really. Year 12 students are having the worst or most disappointing year thus far in their lives - in what would usually be a very challenging year - but one full of special highs and events signifying the approach of young adulthood and the freedom and independence they yearn. We shall do the best we can to signpost the end of their school lives as poignantly and with the celebration and recognition they so much deserve.

The Year 12 2020 cohort may not feel special now, rather unlucky, but they will go down historically as a cohort who endured and overcame the challenge of doing Year 12 in a time of a global crisis. I guess that is a story they will be able to hold in their heads and hearts to inform them when they face other challenges in life in the future. Our Year 12 have only a handful of School days left and will soon count off their exams one by one. They have been champions, steadfastly putting one foot after the other moving through the year with determination and grace. It is my fervent hope that the vibrant city that is Melbourne – the World’s Most Liveable City – comes to life for them again once more, so that they can be truly part of this wonderful city of theirs. It is uplifting to think of them as young adults mixing together in Melbourne’s famous cafes, bars and eateries, taking in the street art, visiting galleries, going to music concerts, falling in love, driving to the beach with friends, attending sporting events, and balancing university and working lives. We all want this beautiful, thriving city to come back to life. I am excited for this to occur again soon so that our young people can experience it and it can be part of the story of their lives.

Mrs Marise McConaghy, Principal

As we approach the end of the year, parents and caregivers of students in Years 7 to 11 will need to order textbooks and stationery for 2021. There are two stages to this: 

1) Early English (novels) and VCE orders: These orders will arrive early December. This allows students to read their novels for
    English over the summer break in preparation for next year. VCE students can access their texts for their holiday homework.

    Early English and VCE orders must be placed online by Monday 9 November through Campion Education and using the four digit
    code of: J9U6

    This link is also available on MyStrathcona.

    VCE subjects will be confirmed in the coming days, but all students have either received the subjects they requested, or have
    already been contacted by me. I will email the complete subject lists soon to all students.

2) Other orders for Years 7 to 10 will be available from Friday 13 November. Subjects will be confirmed for Year 10s prior to that
    date.

Mr Ross Phillips, Senior Dean of Learning Futures

This year you will once again be able to buy and sell second-hand textbooks and other student resources for example, calculators, sporting items, musical items, stationery and much more from the Sustainable Schools Shop. More information about how to register and what textbooks and student materials you can buy and sell will be provided in next week’s Magnolia.

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

• Dates to Diarise in Term 4
• VTAC 2021 Upcoming Key Dates
• Study Abroad & Exchange Programs offered by Victorian Universities
• Scholarships to Study Abroad
• Diploma of Professional Learning at La Trobe University
• Study Cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu
• The Design Your Career Youth Summit
• The School of The New York Times Gap Year Online

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

I feel as if this period of our covid-interrupted lives may be what  Shakespeare was referring to. A temporary and passing condition of sadness. We are sad for our losses, the lost time with friends, the lost activities, the loss of experiences that were looked forward to and imagined.  However, I think it is also important to recognise that this is a passing phase, indeed, summer is coming!  

On Monday our Year 9's will walk back down the Tay Creggan driveway and we will spend the following six weeks (all being well) endeavouring to provide the girls with a range of experiences and a renewed sense of community.  Above all, we want to imbue them with optimism and the knowledge that they have indeed learned a great deal this year, despite the losses. 

On Wednesday, we had our final 'Pop Up' Day online. Mrs Narelle Cameron reports "As part of Pop Up Day on 21 October 2020, the Year 9 students had the opportunity to hear from Alice Zaslavsky, also known as Alice in Frame”.

After appearing on Masterchef season 4, Alice changed her career direction from secondary teaching to food journalist.  Alice has many feathers in hat, she is author of three books, podcaster, as well as appears weekly on ABC news breakfast as a culinary correspondent.
 
The Year 9 students heard about how Alice was able to combine her love of teaching and food to inspire and teach people of all ages to eat real food, have fun in the kitchen and, ultimately, follow their passions.

Our students enjoyed asking Alice questions about her career, favourite restaurants she would like to visit after lockdown and what she cooked for her audition for Masterchef."

Ms Liesl Woods then ran a mega Trivia Quiz, challenging us with questions which ranged from world geography to pop culture and movie songs. There were even a few glimpses of teachers when we were much younger. Winners will be announced when we are back on Campus.

Finally, I would like to commend all of the Year 9 students who have been actively involved in the 'Do It In A Dress' initiative of One Girl. Led by Micky and Meg, our Houses are competing for points to see who can do the most activities in a dress. It has been important for the girls to recognise that whilst our schooling has been interrupted, educational outcomes for young women in Africa remain far lower than the developed world. Whether it be by taking a photo in a dress or fundraising, the support of this cause shows a positive humanitarian spirit. 

Booklist information for 2021 can now be found in the Senior School section of this newsletter for families wishing to make an early start on organising supplies.

Sadly, Collingwood is not in the Grand Final this year so I will be barracking for my husband's team - the Cats! Enjoy the long weekend - hope the team you barrack for has a win too!

Mrs Karyn Murray, Head of Tay Creggan

Because play is so varied, there are many benefits. Play is just as beneficial for our older children as it is for our younger children in the Junior School. Play should not only be viewed as the interactions that take place in the playground but central to the philosophy that defines how children learn, how they make sense of their world, how they form and explore friendships and how they shape and test hypotheses about their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical environments.

The Pedagogy of Play, a research project at Harvard University, explicitly defines some of the advantages of learning through play:

• Intellectual development: Play builds executive functioning skills, content knowledge and creative thinking.
• Social development: Playing with others means noticing social cues, listening, and taking another person’s perspective, which are key aspects to developing empathy.
• Emotional development: Children learn self-regulation as they follow norms and pay attention while experiencing feelings such as anticipation or frustration. Play also teaches children how to set and change rules, and how to decide when to lead and when to follow.
• Physical development: Physical wellbeing is important for success in other domains. In sports, outdoor games, and dance, children develop strength, muscle control, coordination, and reflexes. They push limits and try new things which can motivate them to take risks in other circumstances.

Mrs Lisa Miller, Head of Junior School

On Tuesday, book characters came alive as children from the Melaleuca, Wattle and Jacaranda classes came dressed as their favourite character with a small parade especially for our younger learners in the Banksia room.

It was certainly a fun and exciting way to celebrate the joy stories bring, and instil perhaps, a lifetime love of books. Thank you to all the families for being so creative with the costumes. No mean feat with these restrictions!

The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have announced the 2020 Book of the Year, and the winners are ...

• CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood: My Friend Fred written by Frances Watts and illustrated by A. Yi.
• CBCA Picture Book of the Year: I NEED a Parrot, written and illustrated by Chris McKimmie.

Both books come highly recommended by the children.

I wish all families a safe and relaxing long weekend and look forward to seeing you all again next week.

Mrs Jo Dowling, Director of ELC

When we first began remote learning in March, I don’t think any of us in Year 12 fully grasped the extent to which this experience would define our final year. To be honest, I think most of us were just excited for a week or two of extra sleep-ins and to enjoy the novelty of online classes. But, of course, as March turned into April and the weeks at home started to pile up, it dawned on us that this experience would not be a little blip in our journey towards graduation, but rather a defining feature of our final year.

Although I personally haven’t found online classes themselves all that bad, it is easy to feel like a lot has been lost in terms of the ‘Year 12 experience’. At Strathcona, my cohort has grieved the loss of big events like sports carnivals and formal, as well as the smaller incidental things that we all took for granted, like hanging out together in the mornings before classes started, and the atmosphere and energy of the classroom that can’t quite be replicated online. It is bitter-sweet to be preparing for things like Celebration day and the last few weeks of school having hardly spent any time together this year - it is the sense of lost time that hurts the most.

However, something I am very grateful that God has given our cohort is the unique perspective of what it is like to be without our school communities before we have truly left them behind. I believe that having spent so much of the year apart will make us all the more conscious of what we are leaving behind as we say our final goodbyes. We’ll be sure to make these final days count!

It would mean a lot if you could pray for the Class of 2020 as we approach the end. Please pray for safety and the continued downward trend of cases in Victoria so that examinations can run as smoothly as possible for students across the state, and that as our time in school comes to a close we would be able to say goodbye with gratitude and confidence for the next chapter of our lives.

Hillary Halford, Year 12 Faith Leader

Due to COVID-19 we will be restricted to using online ordering via Flexischools and contactless pick up out the front of the canteen for both recess and lunch orders.

For Senior School Families

The cut off time for ordering at recess is 9.30am and lunch is 11am. If you do not have a Flexischools account, please visit Flexischools and follow the easy steps to register today.

For Junior School Families

The cut off time for Junior School orders is 9.30am. Lunches will be delivered to the Junior School before lunch. If you do not have a Flexischools account, please visit Flexischools and follow the easy steps to register today.

Please download the latest Canteen Menu from MyStrathcona.

Dobsons are having a buy early and save sale! The sale ends on Saturday 31 October, get in early if you need to purchase any new uniform items. Visit them online to find out more.