麻豆国产AV

Patrons Mass

We gathered as a school community this morning at Mass in celebration of our rich faith traditions. In doing so, we recognise that we are founded in the name of those who showed, through their example, a profound commitment to live Christ-like and, after whom, we today name our Houses - Dominic, MacKillop and Rice. We offer our thanks to the religious men and women who worked at 麻豆国产AV, inspired by St Dominic, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Blessed Edmund Rice. This year, we especially focus on St Thomas Aquinas after whom the College is named, given that we are celebrating his 700 year anniversary. By remembering these holy people we also learn more about Christian discipleship and their commitment to a preferential option for the poor and disadvantaged. Thank you to Fr Dispin John for presiding, Tania Grace and the Catholic Life Team for preparation of the Mass, our Year 10 EDGE class and our musicians for enriching our worship with song.

Generations in Jazz Championships

Aquinas students represented the College at the Generations in Jazz Championships last weekend in Mt Gambier and had great success. Our Senior Stage Band placed first in its division and two students, Isobel Mugamu (Alto Saxophone) and Sarai Nunez (Trumpet) were invited to join the Super Band. Congratulations to these students. Thanks to the music staff for their work in preparing the students to showcase their talents and for accompanying them to SA. 

Note: You will have an opportunity to hear the students shortly at Not Just Jazz which is coming up on May 19 at 7.30pm. Bookings are currently open on the 麻豆国产AV website.

Farewell to our French Visitors

We farewell the visitors from our French sister school, Lyc茅e Notre Dame du Roc, this week. It has been a very rich exchange which culminated in a demonstration of their culinary talents in our WTTC last Friday night. The College was presented a poster, which captured images from the last 25 years of our relationship, that will be mounted in the WTTC. Thank you to Aquinas families who agreed to host a visiting student - the exchange is not possible without such generosity. Thank you also to Mr Owen Stott, Director of the WTTC, who coordinated the program at our end.

EISM Division 1 Athletics Carnival

Last Wednesday, a large group of athletes represented 麻豆国产AV at Lakeside Stadium as part of the EISM Division 1 Athletics Carnival. The students performed really well and should be proud of their efforts. Thanks to Mr Bernie Brummel and all of the coaches for supporting our athletes in helping them to prepare for this event.

Family Mass

Thank you to those who were able to accept the invitation to join us for our Family Mass this week. The focus of the Mass was to give thanks for our mothers as we lead into Mother鈥檚 Day this weekend. Thank you to our Year 11 EDGE students for their preparation of our liturgy and to the P&F who prepared a supper. We look forward to offering another opportunity to gather as a community to worship later in the year.

School Tours

The first of our school tours for those considering enrolment at Aquinas occurred earlier this week, and despite rainy weather, we had a full complement on the tour. Many of this year鈥檚 student ambassadors are leading tours for the first time and the feedback from prospective parents was excellent. The power of hearing a young person speak warmly about their school is not lost on those seeking the right learning environment for their child and our student ambassadors do a wonderful job in sharing their positive learning experiences.

Winter Uniform

All students should now be in full winter uniform and I thank you for your support in making sure that your son/daughter is correctly attired. We encourage our students to wear their uniform with pride as it symbolises their membership in a valuable community.

Annual Report to the College Community

To comply with requirements of the Australian Government, each school must produce an Annual Report to the Community. Our report for 2022 can now be found . Thank you to those who contributed and to Maddy Kalla and Georgia Smith who compiled the report.

Happy Mother's Day

We wish all Aquinas mothers and those who care for our young a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend. As the first educators, we give thanks for your kindness and gentle nurturing.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Darren Atkinson

Principal

It is very close to the middle of May, and given that assessments for Semester 1 at Aquinas will be completed by June 16 or before, now is the time to be getting our knowledge and skills ready. The key idea is about retention, retention of knowledge or retention of a particular skill. It is not important whether we are talking about an academic or a practical task, the principles are the same. Here is some theory and practice about the best way to do this.

What we call learning means that we have immersed ourselves in some knowledge; such as facts, principles, processes, or some skills, such as how to play a musical piece or how to construct a roof, and that we are still able to recall or execute those skills at a later time. We store this knowledge in our memory and retrieve it later. The immersion is not enough, we need to be able to find the knowledge or skills later. What we call revision, rote learning or even repeating a task is, in part, about retrieving the knowledge or skill from our memory (and when we become very good at it, that is because we have made the retrieval automatic and we do not think about it any more).

The key ideas:

'Practice at retrieving new knowledge or skill from memory is a potent tool for learning and durable retention.' Anything that the brain is asked to remember or recall, we need to know where we have filed it. The problems that we face finding things around the house because we didn鈥檛 carefully put it away are equally true for our brains. Maybe the floordrobes that are your children鈥檚 bedrooms explain something. But the point is simple, if we want to call up a skill or a memory we need to be able to find it.

Finding it is what cognitive scientists call retrieval, and revision or repetition is retrieval practice. Those cognitive scientists believe that the more effortful the retrieval, providing you succeed, the more successful the retrieval will be. So, finding the easiest way to organise ideas or complete your homework or cut out the pattern is not always the way that will guarantee that the same skill can be replicated in the future. An example of this is if you are required to spend three hours memorising a speech, it is more likely that it will stick if there are six half hour sessions than if you set aside three hours to do it. A reason for this is that it will take more effort to recall the speech after a period of time, but it is that effort that strengthens the learning.

So why is this relevant right now? With four weeks to go there is homework, revision, practice in class, workshop or in the lab that can be consolidated for assessment, but more importantly for the long term. The skills we learn in Maths or English in Year 8, for example, are the foundations for the following years. We know that while cramming or last minute studying might improve a test result, it does little to embed knowledge. 

Now is a good time to think about retrieval and how to practice it.

Notes and quotes are from Brown, Roediger and McDaniel (2014) especially p 43.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

A few thoughts on how you can help your child progress effectively at school

Since I started teaching, there has always been much discussion in the world of education about the vitality of literacy skills in learning. The complexity of an understanding of literacy is impacted by the evolving nature of communication and the emergence of technology in the lives of students, shifting practices and foci in the last few decades.

Luckily, our students at Aquinas are provided with effective teaching and learning programs that promote holistic development through learning experiences, in which literacies for the world extend beyond reading and writing, and extend to emotional regulation, responsible use of technology, spiritual development and many other areas of importance. In addressing the evolving impact of technology and in the effort to enhance learning for each person in a progressive way that will enhance development, responsible use of technology is something that we have continued to promote with all our students. Our policies to support students are founded on the perspective that each student has the ability to grow and learn how to be responsible when using devices that have become part of the fabric that is our society. Equally, our students are supported through pastoral programs that aim to enhance their social emotional learning and spirituality. 

Today, however, I wish to discuss the role of reading and study skills to develop student progress. It is considered that both reading habits and study skills are essential for success in life, and that technology provides scope for development in that area. It is considered that students who read are likely to have:

• Improved academic performance, because effective study skills help students learn and retain information better, leading to improved outcomes. Reading regularly also improves vocabulary and comprehension skills, which are crucial for academic success.
• Preparation for life after school because your child is currently offered a time to prepare. Developing good study habits and reading skills can help students transition smoothly to further study and work.
• Good study skills can help students manage their time more efficiently, allowing them to balance academic demands with extracurricular activities and personal responsibilities. This is a key skill to develop for future progress.
• Developing strong study skills and reading habits can instil a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. Students who know how to learn effectively are more likely to continue learning and growing throughout their lives.

Study skills and reading are important for our students to develop in order to achieve academic success and prepare for future opportunities. Your role modelling, continued encouragement of your child to read, and their engagement in our school programs will enhance the possibility of success and preparation for life beyond school. 

What can you do? 

• Read with your child or model the practice of reading for pleasure for them. 
• Discuss mobile device use and agree on what is appropriate use.
• Ask your child to read reputable websites.
• Set study periods at home.
• Teach your child study skills that include organisation.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the next edition, I will share some insights into emotional development in students.

Dr Nap Rodezno

Deputy Principal

"This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you"

Today鈥檚 whole school mass had one of the more well known quotes from scripture; 鈥渓ove one another, as I have loved you." It is a concept that is very easy to understand, yet not always easy to follow. Jesus loved us unconditionally, yet often we struggle to love - especially when there can be tension or conflict.

This week, we celebrated our Family Mass with a specific emphasis on motherhood. The love of a mother replicates the unconditional love of God. Warmth, compassion, wisdom and humour are just some of the qualities of mothers, some are quirky and others serious, some can run 10 kilometres, while others love to sit and read a book by the fire. Mothers can take many different forms. On Sunday, many of us will be privileged to spend time with our mothers, or with those important people who have taken on the mother role in our lives. For others, it is a time of contradiction with happy memories yet the sadness of loss, and for others again, it is a day they would rather not recognise.

May this weekend be a time of happiness and love with those who love you unconditionally.

Tania Grace

Assistant Principal Mission

Senior Years Report

Whole school assemblies are scheduled each term and provide the opportunity to share and celebrate the life and achievements of students in the College. Every assembly focuses on a different theme. Later this term, the theme will be Community. 

Assemblies are highly valued student-centered celebrations, enabling students to share their experiences across the school. Items are written, prepared, and delivered by the students involved, providing a unique perspective on life at the College. It is always a thrill to see the Performing Arts in action, hear about the many events and activities in which different groups of students are involved, and witness their progress and success. 

Assemblies allow students to witness each other taking an active role in their community, helping to create a positive and inclusive environment, building meaningful relationships, and promoting a strong sense of belonging.

Many students are working to prepare the next assembly for the whole school to enjoy. We thank them for their contributions and look forward to the upcoming event.

Rachel Crawley

Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

We have been fortunate enough in the Middle Years to have had a variety of external groups meet with the students already this year. Just yesterday, our Year 7 cohort experienced 鈥楤rainstorm鈥�, an educational theatre company, that aims to help students with their anti-bullying, cyber safety, and student wellbeing programs. Each live theatre performance is supported by a Q&A and an array of curriculum-aligned Teacher Resources to continue the learning in the classroom. The Year 8 students will experience this next week. We understand that this one session isn鈥檛 a quick fix that will solve all of these issues, but we believe that constant consistent education in such matters across the curriculum certainly makes a difference over time.

All of our students in the Middle Years also have a class session and follow-up activities with an external group called 鈥楾oolbox.鈥� Toolbox provides preventative mental health tools for teens through wellbeing workshops designed for students by psychologists, as well as follow-up activities for classes to help consolidate what they have learned.

Our Year 7s completed workshops that focused on:

• Recognizing the signs of emotional distress
• Accepting emotions as they are
• Expressing emotions in healthy ways

Some of our Year 9s so far have completed workshops that focus on:

• Catching a story before it catches you
• Creating distance from a story to reduce its intensity
• Reframing an event or an idea to gain perspective
• Identifying the source of unhelpful thought patterns
• Finding evidence for the thought
• Creating new, balanced perspectives

The students have been very respectful and engaged. Here are some of their thoughts on what they gained from the sessions:

鈥淭oolbox taught me how to solve problems in my head that I shouldn鈥檛 worry about.鈥�

鈥淚t helped me to think of things to do when I feel bad about myself.鈥�

鈥淚t gave me ideas about how I can stop myself from thinking about negative thoughts.鈥�

鈥淚 liked learning about the different ways we can cope with the mental videos in our mind.鈥�

Students in Year 8 will experience this session on Monday, June 5.

Other groups that have worked and will work with our students are the Man Cave, Big Sister Experience, Success Integrated and Digital Footprint Workshop, just to name a few. 

We are determined to continue to help equip our students with the challenges adolescence presents.

Phil Box
Head Middle Years

Indigenous Garden

The 麻豆国产AV Indigenous Garden has been soaking up the fabulous recent rain. The garden, which is located along Great Ryrie Street at the front of the College, is thriving. Here are some images of our indigenous plants. If you have the opportunity to smell the lemon myrtle leaves, it is well worth the effort. The scent, and oil it produces, has a range of different uses. It can be used in the kitchen, as a cleaning product, and for medicinal purposes.  

Karyn Myers

Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

The Importance of Kindness

Everyone that passes through Aquinas will be remembered for something different. Whether this be for breaking an EISM record, always making your mates laugh, being in the Top 10 each year, helping out teachers and peers, involving yourself with music and drama, participating in leadership, or creating an amazing art project… the list is endless. 

But, I think it鈥檚 really important to realise that everyone has the ability to be remembered as a kind person. A paramount trait that takes so little time and effort to exhibit, but can leave a substantial impact on those around you. To others, this may look like a friendly smile when simply passing in the hallway, or saying thank you to your teachers for the work that they do. And it鈥檚 just as important to display this kindness to yourself. Be proud and applaud yourself for the effort you put in. Recognise when you may need a break. Participate in activities that you enjoy. 

As students, these times in our lives can be the most challenging, but also the most rewarding, and we all have the capacity to look back on our time at Aquinas and feel content with how we left our mark by treating ourselves and others with kindness. 

The world will only be a better place with more kindness in it. 

Chloe North-Coombes 

It's true to say that 麻豆国产AV promotes students' pursuit of greatness in every aspect of their lives. Like Chloe mentioned, Aquinas students are known for making an impact on the world through their accomplishments, whether they be in the fields of academics, athletics, or the arts. But I also believe compassion is one of the most significant legacies we can leave behind. We have the capacity to start a chain reaction that can improve the world by treating others with compassion and respect.

Kindness is a universal language that cuts across the boundaries of culture and language. It's an easy but effective method to relate to others and demonstrate our concern. Acts of compassion can unite individuals and spur constructive change in a world that frequently feels divided. So, I urge you to adopt kindness as a way of life, whether you're an Aquinas student or someone who wants to change the world. We can build a brighter future for ourselves and future generations by working together.

Matthew Azzopardi

Do you find yourself gobsmacked that the contestants on Who Wants to be a Millionaire don't know the obvious answer?

Do you reach for Trivial Pursuit at the mere mention of a game night?

Do you have a brain full of random facts and don't quite know when or where to use them appropriately?

Do you have a group of friends/colleagues/acquaintances who know a lot about a little but when put together are a trivia force to be reckoned with?

If you said YES to any of these questions, grab your calendar, gather your brains trust and save the date for the Annual Parents and Friends Trivia Night to raise funds for the 麻豆国产AV community.

WHEN: Friday, July 28 7.30pm

WHERE: O'Driscoll Room, 麻豆国产AV

Prizes, raffles and laughs are promised...as well as trivia for all abilities. 

More details to follow soon.

CONTACT: pandf-president@aquinas.vic.edu.au for more information

IN THE MEANTIME: We are enthusiastically looking for donations for raffle prizes. If you, or someone you know, has a business or product that they would like to donate as a prize, please contact pandf-fundraising@aquinas.vic.edu.au. 

All businesses and donations will be acknowledged at the event and receive a Certificate of Thanks.

Parents and Friends Network

Congratulations to the 125 students who have received commendations since the start of May. 

We especially acknowledge:

Max Beach who helped clean one of the landscape gardens and received a Stewardship commendation.

Benjamin Eisen whose outstanding respect in class and prayer earnt a Spirituality commendation.

The Spirit of Aquinas section will focus on one core value from our mission statement and the ways this value has been demonstrated at school.

Perseverance: 鈥淲e are challenged to continually strive for excellence in all aspects of our learning.鈥�

International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. ICN commemorates this important day each year with the production and distribution of the International Nurses' Day (IND) resources and evidence. 

The theme for 2023 is Our Nurses. Our Future.

Within our families and friendship circles, we probably all know a Nurse and know how patient, hard-working and selfless they are. The pandemic highlighted the valued and critical role they play in society. With great care, our Aquinas Nurses- Maree, Mel, Nat, Kim and Fiona (mat leave) calmly look after the physical health of students and they deserve much praise and recognition. 

Aquinas Nurses, and all of the Nurses in our community- you are valued today and every day. Thank you for all that you do!

Congratulations to the Aquinas Music team who were crowned first place Senior Stage Band Div 4 at the Generations in Jazz event in Mount Gambier last weekend.

A special mention also to Isobel Mugamu (Alto Saxophone 1) and Sarai Nunez (Trumpet 5) who received Super Band individual achievements.

An outstanding achievement by all in attendance!

The 2023 Australian Diving Age Nationals were recently held in Sydney. The competition ran for the entire first week of the school holidays. It was another great experience, as I had the opportunity to compete in four events. These events were the 14/18 boys and mixed three metre synchro, 16/18 boys one metre, three metre and platform, which I managed to win the bronze medal in. I was extremely happy about this result as it was my first individual medal at a national event. 

I also went well in my other events, finishing fourth on one metre and sixth on three metre. Ringwood Diving Club finished as Club of the Year for the third consecutive year, which was another great achievement to be a part of. I can't wait for next year, where I'll be competing in the 19/24 age group for the first time.

Matthew Azzopardi

College Captain

It鈥檚 been a bit over a term and Dungeons and Dragons club is still rolling 20s on strength. The club is a welcome place for students (and some teachers) to come and play Dungeons and Dragons, talk about the game and learn how to play and run campaigns.

I have five wonderful Dungeon Master volunteers who are running campaigns for the rest of the students. Efrosyni, Pip, Adeline, Sean and Jorja create exciting scenarios for their players.

The club is the brainchild of Adeline, who came to me in Year 8 and asked whether I could open a room for people interested in playing or talking about Dungeons and Dragons. From those humble beginnings, we are now regularly running six games with a revolving cast of about twenty-five players.

Mr Harrington and Mr Watson have both been roped into playing by their students, and the Year 9 coordinators often stick their heads in to find out what all the screaming is about.

I asked the players and DMs to let me know what they鈥檝e done so far. In our introductory campaign, our intrepid adventurers have: 

• "Failed to kick down a lot of doors due to horrible dice rolls."
• 鈥淓scaped a hole and then fell into another hole immediately after we got out.鈥�
• 鈥淕ot to know my adventurers as people and they all seem lovely and just as chaotic as me!鈥�
• 鈥淲e crawled across the floor, fell into multiple pits."
• 鈥淗ad a mutiny to replace our DM."
• "Tried to coerce the Mayor into raising the reward money before they would save the village!

After we鈥檝e defeated the cult leader, our plan is to focus on creating characters with rich backgrounds (Literacy) and work out our character statistics (Numeracy). They鈥檒l create their own character avatars (Art and Technology) and then look at world creation and map making (Geography - sort of).

But most of all, we鈥檒l have a lot of loud, chaotic fun, feed our addiction for buying new dice sets, and keep our imaginations fired up and ready for anything.

I asked for a closing line from the group and received this:

"I've met so many people during DnD! Can't wait to see what happens next week! I wish it was every lunchtime instead of just Mondays!"

Damian Perry

Teacher

Congratulations to Year 11 student Monique Bambery who was named a Senior Finalist in the I3 ASTA Awards for her project, 鈥楬ow does using crushed glass as a fine aggregate replacement affect concrete strength?鈥� In her project, Monique investigated the effect of replacing sand with recycled crushed glass as a way of making concrete more sustainable. Monique found that using crushed glass unfortunately has a negative impact, as it causes concrete to lose its strength.

The I3 ASTA Award is a National Science Award which recognises the top entries from each state. Monique鈥檚 project was selected through the Victorian based Science Talent Search competition, for which she also received a Major Bursary. Well done Monique!

Anyone wishing to participate in the Science Talent Search competition can do so through the Year 9 Future Sciences program. Please contact Dr Hulston or Mrs Schulz (Learning Area Leader Science) for more information.

Dr Janine Hulston and Lynda Schulz

Kids Lit Quiz was an incredible opportunity, an overall great experience of excitement and teamwork. Answering 100 questions about literature by discussing as a group, receiving books and prizes, then patiently waiting for a score, was how the day progressed. At the end, we placed second behind Star of the Sea College. Both teams scored 81 out of 100 points. The tie was broken with one last and final question, as everyone's thoughts were racing with nerves. By mere unlucky chance, our group answered one second too late. 

Though we did not make it to the National Final in Sydney, the main highlight was working together as a team of like-minded individuals, who were determined to put forward their best efforts. However, this extraordinary opportunity would not have been possible without Miss Wilson to help and organise such an event, to which we are all immensely grateful. In the end, we came to realise that the destination did not hold as much importance as the journey. 

Priscilla Monewalu

8 Green