Term 1, Week 2, 2023 9 Feb 2023

I’m someone who made the most of high school by giving everything a go. I actually mean everything – from playing the drums, netball, writing competitions, drama productions, Duke of Ed, cricket coaching, debating, outer space competitions, campaigning for equality for women in STEM and so on. Sure, I absolutely loved some clubs right away and they became a part of who I am today, whilst others lasted only a couple of months. But the friends I made, the confidence I gained, and the memories will be with me forever. Trying new things helped me gain a deeper insight into myself, even if my time in the drama production showed me that I probably won’t become the next Emma Watson or Jennifer Lawrence. Oh well, theatre was a fun stage to go through. Oops – I’ll try to limit any play on words from here.

As I approached Year 12, I was a bit apprehensive of what the year would bring. I can now tell you that it’s a combination of hard work, lots of practice exams and-they say it every year, but it’s true- watching Edrolo instead of Netflix. But at the same time, for me, Year 12 was spending lunchtime with my friends, winning best dressed at Formal in a saree, a traditional Indian dress, and celebrating those lasts – last athletics, last class, last day of school, last exam.
Now, if you’ve heard me speak before, you know that I ask for snaps whenever I speak about inspirational people such as Malala Yousafzai or Michelle Obama. But sometimes the people who motivate us, inspire us, are actually closer to us than we thought. As I run through the people I am grateful for, I’ll ask for snaps – let’s have a practice.
 
Thank you to my Year 12 teachers – Dr. Endo for Chemistry, for answering all my emails, even the ones that tested his Sunday evenings. Mr. Phillips for Physics, and showing me that women are just as powerful in any field we choose. We’re on the way to collapsing the stereotype and building your dream of equality in STEM. C’mon, let’s get some snaps for that! Ms. Foreman for guiding me through Math Methods and Ms. Kouris for helping me beat not only Specialist Maths, but also exam nerves. Thank you for the confidence boost. Snaps.
Ms. Joubran for marking what seemed like a million of my English essays and yet somehow still having a smile on her face. Ms. Cash for discovering my passion for Biology and unlocking my future as a doctor. Snaps to you too. And finally, to my Head of House Ms. Gazis for being my cheerleader, also to Ms. Sowden and Mrs. McConaghy for all the opportunities.

I want to remind this year’s VCE cohort that your teachers are your best resources and encourage you to trust and utilise them. Never be afraid to ask questions – because they really are always there for you. 
It’s because of all the Strathy teachers I’ve had since Year 7 that I’ve fulfilled my dream and am studying Medicine at Monash University.
One last show of appreciation to my friends who made it the most memorable year and to my family. Dad, for being my personal Uber driver everywhere. Mom, those late-night hot chocolates are the reason I got through Year 12.
I often think short people maintain a great perspective on life since we are always looking up at the world – literally. To this group of Yr12’s: I encourage you to be positive and optimistic this year. Look for the good in every day and use every moment wisely. I’m sure the rest of my awesome and #punstoppable cohort agrees with me when I say time is perhaps the most valuable commodity in the final year of school. Don’t forget to enjoy these last few precious moments with the people around you. I wish you all the best in following your dreams – never stop looking up.

Stand up, stand out, stand tall. To those of you in Year 7 and 8, I encourage you to Stand Up and give everything a go. In Year 9 and 10, I want to inspire you to Stand Out and celebrate your uniqueness. And in Year 11 and 12, it’s time to Stand Tall against the onslaught on VCE. It’s not about the height at which you stand, it’s about how you stand in your height. 

Maha Thiagarajan, Dux of 2022

The transition to high school is a time of great change and can often be exciting, challenging and unsettling all at the same time. It is so important that students are able to build a sense of connectedness and belonging with their peers, teachers and the wider school community. The ‘Recipe for Success’ program at Year 7 held on Tuesday 7th February provided students with a toolkit to help them develop important skills that will assist them in this time of transition. The key theme was connection and the session began with a series of team building challenges and activities to encourage the students to build new and positive friendships and empower them to understand that they have the power to create a positive culture within their year group. Other session content included: communicating effectively and responsibly, peer influence and positive decision-making, celebrating diversity and encouraging appreciation of differences.

The key themes will be further explored within the Feliciter program with the help of your child’s teachers and year level coordinator throughout the year to support the social and emotional learning of all of our young people.
Burn Bright will return on Tuesday 21st and Thursday 23rd February to work with our Year 8 students and the Student Executive. 

Megan Boyd, Head of Findlay House


Some reflections from the students on the day:

The Burn Bright incursion was a great opportunity to make new friends. Drawing a picture based on a friend’s description was both challenging and fun, they were hilarious! Burn Bright taught us the importance of coming together and bonding as a year level. I felt I knew so many more people by the end of the day.   Mila Podrug, Year 7

On the 7th of February, the Year 7’s were delighted to have three staff members from Burn Bright, who came to Strathcona for the leadership workshop, which lasted for the entire day. The Burn Bright instructors were incredibly positive, engaging, and creative in the way they delivered their messages. We played games, talked to the people around us, listened to their own experiences, and even watched some short clips of people who give a clear example of the topic for the session. Through the incursion, the Year 7’s learnt how to develop “A+ friendships”, identify our passions and visions for the year ahead and the importance of collaboration.  Julia Rozenkova, Year 7

On Tuesday all the year 7’s had an incursion with Burn Bright. It ran all day, and we learnt about friendship, courage, bravery, leadership, visions/goals, and a few other topics. We did multiple activities such as word tennis, that engaged us with new people. We also learnt to be confident and put ourselves out there by doing a dance off!! We had fun and learnt loads! Thank you to Layton, Jess and Matt for coming and teaching us and thank you to the teachers for organising the day! Ashleigh Ramsay, Year 7

A team of talented instructors came to educate us on all areas of Leadership. Right off the bat, we played creative get-to-know-you games to connect with our classmates on a deeper level, people who we might not have talked to at all this year but ended up building a strong foundation of trust. You never know if someone could have so many things in common with you if you never took the courage to take the first step. We learnt a very important lesson- to truly shine bright in this first year of high school is to work as a team, to not be afraid of failure, and to always show bravery, in your schoolwork and tests, extracurricular activities and friendship. Zoe Jenkins, Year 7

Today eleven Year 9 students nominated themselves to hold the position of Tay Creggan leader and presented speeches to their cohort, whilst a number of other students nominated for roles including Sports Leader, Debating Leader and Performing Arts Leader. Listening to the speeches, I was struck by our students' optimism and awareness that a good leader needs to be humble and not take on the role for personal glory. In fact one student even quoted Lao-Tzu,the founder of Taoism, “A leader is best when people barely know (s)he exists". I would congratulate all eleven students; their maturity, sense of fairness and enthusiasm to foster a strong community amongst their peers holds them in good stead for this year and those ahead at Strathcona. Mrs McConaghy will announce the leaders and present badges to all Tay Creggan students in Assembly next Friday.

Yesterday in Envision, as part of preparing for our first excursion into the city, all students were shown a Public Transport Safety presentation and we talked, at length, about personal security and talking steps to be safe, both online and when out in the community. Our Dean of Student Wellbeing, Mrs Amber Sowden spoke to students about their responsibility to manage what they say and do, and to ensure that they respect themselves and others. 

The sun was shining today as Ms Ashlea Mills and her PE class experienced their first canoeing lesson. Plenty of fun and laughter, and a great way to learn a few more paddling skills. 

For those who could not make the Year 9 Parent Information evening, the slides for the night will be uploaded to the Year 9 Parent page on Maple.

Best wishes,

Karyn

This year the Cyber Safety Project will be running four online webinars that connect to the learning taking place in our classrooms and to provide support and guidance to families with the online world their students are part of.

I highly recommend that all families register to all four webinars. Once you register you can watch live on the night or a link will be provided to watch in your own time.

Register for the webinars here. Read more about the webinars here.

Webinar 1: Plan, Prevent, Protect
Thursday 16th February 7:30pm

Learning, connecting and playing online can be positive and safe. Learn how to create a safe online environment at home with practical advice for raising young people in a technology-rich world.

Webinar 2: Safety on the Socials
Tuesday 9th May 7:30pm

Uncover the world of social networking through the lens of a child and teenager. Understand the risks and discover techniques to prepare kids to be safe and responsible on the socials.

Webinar 3: Gaming and your Family
Wednesday 26th July 7:30pm

You can learn a lot through gameplay. Help the young people in your home get the most out of gaming experiences and learn strategies to build healthy gaming habits.

Webinar 4: Digital Balance and Wellbeing
Tuesday 17th October 7:30pm  

Technology plays a vital role in our world but it’s easy to lose control. Finding a balance is a crucial 21st century skill. Discover simple tools and settings to manage screen time and thrive in a digital world.

We invite you to join us for lunch at Supreme J Kitchen in Balwyn to celebrate Chinese New Year, the Year of the Rabbit. $55 per person with drinks available on consumption. A great way to meet other parents and we encourage new parents to come along.

Please RSVP by Monday 6 February via Trybooking. To book please click here. 

Join us for Strathcona's Play Group! Bookings are now open.
This is an opportunity to welcome young children, parents and families to the Strathcona community, to come together to learn and develop through informal play activities and social interaction.

WHEN Weekly commencing Wednesday 15 February 2023 9am-10.30am

WHERE Junior School Digispace Centre

COST Tuition is $20.00 per session (pay in full for the term $120.00)

Designed for parents and toddlers (2 to 3 years old). The Playgroup is co-educational.

Spaces are limited so book in quick!

To kick off the year before your daughters go off to camp, the Community Relations Office, in conjunction with the Strathcona Family Association, would like to invite Year 7 families to a casual picnic on the Senior School Oval. This will be a great opportunity to meet other families in your year level and class.

BYO picnic basket and all members of your family are welcome. A sausage sizzle will also be available.

For catering purposes, please register your attendance and how many members of your family will be joining you by clicking here.

Please consider being a Class Rep in 2023 as it is a great way to meet other parents and feel part of life at Strathcona. Thank you to those parents who have already offered to take on this role.

The SFA Committee will host an evening for the 2023 Class Reps to welcome them and chat about suggestions for events during the year. Experienced Class Reps will share their knowledge with the group.

If you would like to volunteer, please email Jo Wilson – jwilson@strathcona.vic.edu.au or call me to discuss further on 8779 7503.

Due past success, the SFA Fathers' Subcommittee invite all dads and male carers to join them in a private room and bar at the Hawthorn Hotel. Come along and meet other Strathy dads over a few drinks and laughs. $25 per person for finger food with drinks at bar prices. To book please click here.

Mums, it’s your turn for a night out! The SFA Mothers’ subcommittee invite Strathcona mums and caregivers to an evening at the Hawthorn Hotel in a private area. A great opportunity to enjoy an evening together and also welcome our new mums to the School. $25 per person for finger food with drinks at bar prices. Please click here to book.