Officer Campus – 16 May 2019

What a start to the term we have had at Officer Campus. The College Production Spamalot was an incredible display of creative talent and comedy. We have celebrated so much success through the SIS Sporting Competition. On Tuesday, our students participated in the SIS Public Speaking Competition and on Thursday we enjoyed the House Athletics Carnival. You can read more about these activities below as well as excerpts from various Campus addresses below.

Congratulations to our Students of the Term

Eshara Gajadeera (Year 7 Gallagher House)

Aleks Feher (Year 7 McDonagh House)

Sunday Rambang (Year 8 Thomas House)

Rebecca Raffaut (Year 8 Synan House)

Kayla Jaremczuk (Year 9 Gallagher House)

Jacob Koch (Year 9 Gallagher House)

Lucky Country

When a young refugee boy arrives at Cook Vale High School, he is given the name ‘Lucky’ by the enthusiastic and open-hearted principal of the school. Two boys in his class are not so open-hearted and their ‘special welcome’ of the new student triggers a chain of events which engulfs the whole community.

On 26 April, Year 7 Drama students from the Officer and Berwick Campuses gathered together in the new Music Drama Dance Performance Space (MDD) at Officer Campus. We were lucky enough to have Zeal Theatre come out to perform their play Lucky Country for us. The performance was amazing in a way that it made me think again about the choices that I make to include people from other countries. This story does not have a very happy ending; however, it was one of the best ones I have seen.

Aleks Feher (7 Kolbe)

Football Clinic with Tyla Hanks

The Year 7 Frayne and Year 7 Endo girls enjoyed a football clinic with Tyla Hanks from the Melbourne Football Club, who is a past student of St Francis Xavier College (class of 2017). She is now an AFL Academy member and All-Australian, who has shown that she can compete strongly against both women and her peers. Currently a year ahead of most of her age group with her schooling having spent the year at university, Tyla is mature, humble and competitive with fantastic skills and goal sense. A great role model for our students.

Lisa Harkin

Officer House Athletics Carnival

In blustery conditions, under ever threatening skies, the Officer students took their athletic talents to Casey Fields for the 2019 edition of the House Athletics Carnival.

Battling relentless head winds, cool temperatures and that ever present likelihood of torrential rain, all competitors had to find that extra gear. And for the most part they did as we saw a number of records broken, some very quick times and some very strong distances on the field events.

After all 114 events had been completed, it was Schneider who secured the win, just nudging out Burgess in what was one of the tightest competitions in years. Last year’s winner, Thomas, eased their way into third to round out the podium.

The spirit award was awarded to Thomas House on the back of their ongoing cheering, participation and yellow wardrobe selections.

A huge thanks must go to all competitors who braved the far from ideal conditions as well as all the staff who filled the ever important event roles to make sure the day ran as smoothly as it did.

Until next time, keep running!

SIS Public Speaking

On 7 May, four students from the Officer campus competed in SIS Public Speaking at John Paul College, Frankston. Carline Tuazama, Max Richards, Ashreena Arul Dass and Osanda Wewalwala delivered prepared and impromptu speeches on a variety of topics. They represented our College very well and spoke with confidence and sophistication. Twelve schools competed, and we came second. Special mention to Max who came second overall out of 48 students.

Results: 1^st – Cornish College,  2^nd – SFX Officer 3^rd – Casey Grammar

Leesa Gordon

Benefit Mindset Challenge

On 2 May, Year 7 students participated in a Benefit Mindset workshop led by Ash Buchanan. The workshop launched the 21 Day Benefit Mindset Challenge where the community seeks to reach our full potential by looking at situations in our lives with a growth mindset. The activities helped students to nurture the leader in us all and give us strength to demonstrate this in times of hardships. The Year 7 students created posters to show examples of how they were already doing this in their lives. With the help of Ash, this helped provoke personal responses. The Benefit Mindset Challenge prompts us all to remember that doing good makes us feel good, how can we all enact this in our lives?

Claire Legge and Amy Cumper

Feeling Different from Others (Student Reflection)

People see me sitting quietly

Maybe they wonder what I am thinking about.

I am new, from another country, a different culture and a whole different background.

Maybe they think l don’t know anything

since l can’t speak English very well and

I can be slow in saying words.

They underestimate me on whom l am

In me, l have a lot going on in my mind, lots of ideas, lots of questions.

What have l done wrong?

How am I going to ask or say something to someone?

Or maybe am I going to say the wrong words?

Maybe people won’t understand me if I say something to them

Will I get teased by people if what l have said is not right?

What goes through my mind is that am I not good enough?

Is it because I am not from here or because of my race?

I feel like an outsider.

And it makes me think – am I not welcome?

I also think about how some people do not think about what they say or do

They have no idea of what others go through

And how their actions affect them.

Maybe this is my strength.

That I can feel what it is like

To be an Outsider.

Shallon Murerwa (Year 9)