Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Welcome back
Welcome to the new school term. I hope that the holiday period provided students with ample time for rest, recreation, revision of term one work and planning for term two, and all families enjoyed the Easter break with family and friends. It was uplifting to greet our students at the gate this morning when they arrived off their bus. We welcome six new students who joined our community across Years 8 to 11.
This will, without a doubt, be another busy term for us all. Apart from all the usual teaching and learning activities, there will be many other opportunities for student learning. For example, rehearsals have commenced for this year’s production, “Disney’s Anastasia,” the winter sports program began this week, the Year 7 students have their Anglesea Camp next week, some Yr 9 students studying Australian History will attend a Camp at Sovereign Hill, the College House Cross Country run will be held on Thursday 18th May, there will be many performing arts events happening throughout the term, our Careers Evening will be held on Monday 22nd May, the Year 8 students will have a Retreat Day later in the term and Year 10 students will have their Work Experience Program during the last week of term – and these are only some of the many Term Two events!
Term 2 is very much the business term of the academic year. It is a time when students can make substantial gains in their learning. As each student and family looks ahead, using the Student Planner will be an essential tool to help each student structure their term program and keep on track. Organisation is the key and an important skill to develop in our students. I encourage parents to monitor their student’s use of the planner.
Yr 7 Enrolments for 2024
Can I please remind parents of current students that if you have a child in Year Six this year that applications for a place in Year 7 next year at Saint Ignatius College Geelong close on Friday, 5th May 2023. Application forms are available on the College website.
ANZAC Commemoration Service
Yesterday, the whole school gathered for a service in keeping with the tradition and significance of the ANZAC Day services conducted on Tuesday across our community. I am pleased that some of our students and Bellarine Secondary College students involved in the Army Cadets formed a Catafalque party for this service – well done and thank you to them. I am also grateful to the guest speakers, Pte Rowan Taylor and his wife, Ms Laura Taylor-Payne. Ms Taylor-Payne is a teacher at our College. She spoke about the significance of ANZAC Day and, from her experience, the challenges for partners and families of military personnel on deployment. And that their challenges can extend well beyond this time. Ms Taylor-Payne encouraged us to commit to work for peace and justice.
Pte Taylor provided an overview of Australia’s observance of ANZAC Day since 1916. He mentioned his 14 years of service, particularly his deployments in Afghanistan, East Timor and Southeast Asia. He spoke about the importance of honouring the Australians who lost their lives in service and encouraged us to uphold values associated with the ANZACS – Loyalty, Selflessness and Courage.
Thank you to Deputy Principal Mr Paul Lewis for coordinating this service, well done to our choir and musicians, and I congratulate our students for participating respectfully.
Uniform Term Two
Please note that all students must wear full winter uniforms for terms two and three. However, as there may be some very warm days early in this term, students may wear summer uniforms with the blazer on any particularly warm days over the next two weeks.
Please check the Student Planner for details about what can and cannot be worn. Please note that the summer shirt with the logo is not to be worn as part of the winter uniform as it is not made to be worn with a tie. The college uniform long-sleeve shirt is to be worn with a tie and is compulsory with the winter uniform for boys and girls. Also, the kilt must be worn no longer than mid-calf with navy blue tights or stockings.
Before and after school supervision
A reminder that the College provides supervision from 8:30 am each morning until the commencement of the Homeroom class at 8:50 am. Students arriving at school before 8:30 am should gather in the Information Learning Centre (which opens at 8:00 am). In the afternoon, supervision is provided for students catching a bus from the College from 3:05 pm until the departure of the last school bus at approximately 3:50 pm. Students waiting for a bus should remain in the Basketball court area or at the bus stop. The College Library is open from 8:00 am each morning and closes at 4:30 pm.
Best wishes for the next fortnight,
Michael Exton
Principal
A New Term!
Welcome back to Term 2. I hope your families had some quality time together.
Term 1 was a term of new beginnings and settling into life at Saint Ignatius. Thank you for your support of the many learning opportunities that were provided. I trust that the recent Student Parent Teacher Conferences gave you an overview of your son or daughter’s Term 1 progress. I now encourage students to work towards achieving their Term 2 goals with a focus on effectively using class and home time. Just a reminder that parents and guardians are welcome to contact teachers at any time during the term to discuss their child’s learning.
Review of Year 7 and 8 Curriculum Program
Over the last two years, the Curriculum Team has been working on a review of the Year 7 and 8 curriculum. The 2022 Cura Personalis Program that was successfully implemented last year was one of the early recommendations of the review. We are pleased to see that this program has met our initial aims and continues to enrich our students. We look forward to hearing about their learning experiences this year.
Last Monday, staff worked together to continue to identify the core knowledge and skills that we expect our Year 7 and 8 students to learn and develop in our revised curriculum program. Our vision for our Year 7 and 8 learners is to provide a curriculum that is connected, contemporary and intentional, informed by the Religious Education Curriculum Framework and Victorian Curriculum. Our aim is to implement our revised curriculum in 2024. We will continue to provide more specific details throughout the year.
Year 9 - 11 Semester One Examinations
Parents and students will receive a copy of their examination timetable in the coming weeks.
Year 11 examinations commence on Tuesday 6 June and Year 10 examinations commence on Wednesday 7 June and both year levels conclude on Thursday 15 June. Year 9 examinations commence on Tuesday 13 June and conclude on Thursday 15 June. Friday 16 June is a student free day for staff correction.
Important S dates
To assist students with their organisation and planning we publish S dates which refers to the final date for any Year 7 – 12 summative or reportable task to be completed. The Year 7 -12 Semester One S days are as follows:
Year 12: Thursday 15 June
Year 10/11: Monday 29 May
Year 9: Monday 5 June (Core subjects only)
Year 9: Friday 9 June (Elective subjects only)
Year 7/8: Thursday 15 June
Term 3 Subject Pathways Information: Accelerated Studies
In Term 3, students will commence the 2024 Subject Pathways process. At Saint Ignatius College, we offer students the opportunity to undertake selected accelerated studies. Accelerated studies are academically challenging and participation in an accelerated study is not automatic. Therefore, a student considering applying to study an accelerated subject must be able to demonstrate that they can cope with the workload, have sound organisational skills, have demonstrated excellence in their chosen Year 10 or 11 subject area, and that the accelerated study will not negatively impact on their Year 10 or 11 studies.
It is expected that any student considering applying to study an accelerated subject meets the following criteria:
• An overall result of 80% or higher in the accelerated subject area studied in Semester One
• An overall result of 75% or higher in all other subjects studied in Semester One
A high level of literacy is beneficial to a student studying an accelerated subject.
A student who does not meet the criteria in Semester 1 may reapply at the end of Semester 2 but cannot be guaranteed a place.
Bernadette Donnelly | Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching
All students in Glowrey House have really got into the spirit of their new house system in Term One and I am sure that this will continue throughout this current term. Of course this was boosted by our great efforts at the annual swimming carnival where our team efforts of participation was outstanding. Our House footy tipping competition is going well with the competition at the top of the leader board tight. Thanks to captain Alexander Quirk for organising this competition.
As a house we are most looking forward to Dr Sr Mary Glowrey’s celebration day on Friday May 5th where we will celebrate mass together and recognise the life and times of Mary Glowrey. This date is the date Mary passed away in 1957 after a life of incredible commitment and dedication to the disadvantaged.
In upcoming mentor time students will be mindfully painting images of Mary Glowrey under their caring Mentor teachers guidance as per the image below but it is the thoughtful conversations that occur during these types of activities that are of utmost importance.
Term 2 is always busy with exams at the end and the Year 10’s working to towards their work experience program but my wish is that all Glowrey House students take a small part from the Mary Glowrey story and act on it in a positive manner and from the evidence I have seen from the group so far this happens daily and makes Glowrey House a great House place to be!
Best Wishes
Brendan O’Brien | Head of Glowrey House.
National Schools Constitutional Convention 2023
This year, I was fortunate to be selected to attend the National Schools Constitutional Convention in Canberra from March 21–23. The topic of this convention was “constitutional reform," particularly studying and reviewing Section 128 of the Constitution (the means by which we change the constitution). There were a total of 120 students from across Australia, and the convention was conducted in the Museum of Australian Democracy in the old Parliament House. This was an amazing experience to learn more about our constitutional and political systems and be involved in political debate. The opportunity to meet many other students from all around Australia, with various backgrounds and political views, who share an interest in being involved and contributing to our future, is something I will always remember.
On the first day when we arrived in Canberra, we took a bus to Parliament House, where we attended question time, giving us insight into some of the political processes and some of the key issues being addressed in Parliament at the moment. After sitting in on question time, we moved to a lecture theatre, where we were welcomed to the convention by the honorary Patrick Gorman, assistant to the Prime Minister. We then had the opportunity to meet our MPs. This was a great start to the convention, and I was grateful to discuss the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum with Libby Coker, our local member for Corangamite.
The next morning, we arrived at Old Parliament House for the official opening of the convention and an introduction to the topics we would be discussing. The first presentation I attended was a keynote called “Australia’s Constitutional Referendum Law and the History of Australia’s Referenda,” presented by Kim Rubenstein from the University of Canberra. This was a useful resource and gave us a good insight into the history of the Constitution to provide context. Then we collaborated and had discussions in our working groups (a selected group of students from different states) to come up with a census of what we believed about the previous presentation. An elected person from each group presented the outcome of discussions to the convention.
After lunch, we had two more keynote speakers. The first was Father Frank Brennan, who discussed the topic “Section 128 in Practise: Is it Still Fair for All?” and brought to light many issues, such as the fact that the Australian Territories, ACT, and NT do not have as extensive representation in referendums as other States. We then listened to a presentation from Professor Peter Anderson, a First Nations Man, who spoke about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on Section 128 of the Constitution and referendums generally, especially the upcoming Indigenous Voice referendum. After these two thought-provoking presentations, we again discussed in our working groups what we had learned and presented our thoughts to everyone. This part of the agenda wound up with a "soapbox" session where individuals could present their personal thoughts on the issues being presented.
After a day of keynotes and controversial topics, we toured the government house. The Governor General welcomed us to his home, made a speech, and invited us to enjoy some refreshments and explore the bottom floor of the house. We examined antiques, decorations, and works of art. It was amazing to chat with the governor general, David Hurley, and his wife, Linda Hurley.
After Government House, we headed straight to the High Court of Australia. We were given a tour of the court and one of the courtrooms, and then we had dinner at the High Court while listening to a guest speaker, Mr. Sean Dondas. Sean was the young Australian of the year for 2022. He shared his experience of personal loss due to cancer in his family and how it inspired him to make a difference for young people in his community by supporting those that are also experiencing similar trauma.
On the third and final day of the presentation, we headed back to Old Parliament House. We were given a brief recap before launching into another keynote presentation from Dr. Andrew Banfield, discussing the use of referendums in other countries and providing examples from Canada and New Zealand. After another valuable working group session and morning tea, we listened to a presentation by the deputy president of the senate, Senator Andrew McLachlan, and we were able to draw on his knowledge of parliament, referendums, and some of the current issues being discussed in Parliament.
After these presentations, there was another "soapbox" session in which some passionate speakers shared their thoughts on what we had discussed at the convention, including their views on the aboriginal voice in parliament, the means by which we change the constitution, and the history of the constitution in Australia.
Finally, a mock referendum was conducted at the convention, giving us the opportunity to vote on one of the topics we had been discussing. This was an amazing opportunity to view the referendum process, made even more authentic by the fact that it was conducted by the Australian Electoral Commision.
To conclude the convention, a communiqué was finalised, which recorded our thoughts and views on the issues and would then be passed to the president of the Senate to represent the thoughts of young people on the constitutional issues and processes. Finally, we were given a full tour of the Old Parliament House, which was awesome to be able to walk around and see the rest of the building, including a model of the Old Parliament House and the old Prime Minister's office.
I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity to engage more with some of the political matters happening in Australia and have a partial voice in terms of the political issues happening in parliament and Australia in our modern society. I learned so much from this experience and was able to connect with, interact with, discuss with, and debate with many other like-minded young people from all across Australia.
Curtis McCoughtry | Academic Captain 2023
On Wednesday the 26th of April our College gathered to commemorate and acknowledge ANZAC Day. We had the pleasure of listening to both students, staff and special guests, including Ms Laura Taylor-Payne and her husband, Private Rowan Taylor as they spoke about their individual experiences with Private Taylor’s time spent in service to the country, an Ms Taylor-Payne’s dedication and resilience as a military spouse, and commitment to supporting her husband and the army. We are incredibly grateful to both of them for not only their time spent with us on Wednesday but their service to our country.
Following a minute’s silence, we listened to the choir and the band perform the national anthem and were privileged to listen to staff member Mr Brendan Nicholls play the bagpipes throughout aspects of the ceremony.
Finally, we were honoured to have a Catafalque Party of cadets participate in the ceremony, including students from both our College and Bellarine Secondary College, guiding us into a place of appreciation for both our past service people and all current service members.
Kathleen Donald
Continued growth and support of the Saint Ignatius College Senior Football program
Alumni and Geelong AFL football player Jhye Clark, will add expertise and experience in further developing the AFL and AFLW football programs in our College. As Football Development Officer, Jhye will assist in the growth of our AFL/AFLW programs and also oversee and manage the football development programs of our football players and coaches at our College.
I would like to thank the Parents and Friends Committee for their continued support to the Senior Football program and for also generously funding our new senior football playing kits. I would also like to thank Elana Cole (Director of Community Engagement and Development) for her promotion and support and Andrew Philp (Director of Sports) and Jason Broadbear (Health and Physical Education Learning Area Leader) as co-coaches.
In association with Puma and PSW, the Senior AFL and AFLW teams this year will be proudly wearing an updated version of our playing kit. The new uniforms have been updated to support both senior teams at the College with the inclusion of;
Male and Female jumper designs and fit
Inclusion of male and female college blue shorts
Conscience
Competence
Compassion
Commitment
A key motto of any Ignatian College is service to the community and continuing excellence in our programs. As a College we are proud of all programs offered by the College and with the opportunity to further grow our football program is important in furthering developing our students.
Both teams will be representing the College during term two in the GISSA and Herald Sun Competition.
Joe McLean | Senior Football Coach
Director of Teacher Development
SRC Update – Term 1
The SRC has been in full swing this term! Our marvelous team has worked hard on getting students’ opinions heard and put into action.
As part of our work, we have been involved with (in conjunction with the Justice Committee & House Captains) the running and organisation of Project Compassion Week! A key part of the SRC’s work to support this has been the Casual Clothes Day, coordinated by Year 8 SRC Representative Imogen Payne, who ensured the day ran smoothly. We would like to thank parents, carers, students and teachers for supporting this cause and we couldn’t have done it without help from our fabulous community!
Continuing the work from the previous SRC, the suggestion form, ‘Your Voice’ has been re-launched in order to hear from people from all around the school on what they think the SRC can assist and push for. We look forward to acting on these recommendations as best we can.
Sarah Tolan | Year 9 SRC Representative
On Behalf of the SRC
MOTHER'S DAY RAFFLE | The Saint Ignatius College Parents and Friends Association are excited to announce their 'Mother's Day Raffle' for 2023.
The College Community is invited to purchase a ticket in this raffle, with tickets only being $5 each via the below link or at Reception.
https://www.trybooking.com/CHTXT
The raffle closes at 4pm on Monday May 15th, with all monies raised going towards student resources at the College.
The Saint Ignatius College Parents and Friends Association presents 'The Little Mermaid' at Village Cinemas Geelong. The new release Little Mermaid is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name. We look forward to welcoming members of the College Community to this evening.
Village Cinemas Geelong
194-200 Ryrie Street, Geelong
VCE Careers Expo
Sat 6th May. 9 am to 3 pm
Caulfield Racecourse
Further info please see Dot Vajda in the Careers Office (early in the week)
ST BERNARD’S BOOK FAIR
Sunday 7th May.
Clairvaux School Hall, Reynolds Rd Belmont
8.00am – 2.00pm
1000’s of pre loved books on every topic imaginable.
W/C 01/05/23
1st: K.Allchin, NEEDED.
2nd: H.Nicol, NEEDED.
3rd: L.Dowling, C.Holland
4th: B.Collins,M.Hiemstra
5th: NEEDED, NEEDED.
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W/C 8/5/23
8th: E. Musella, NEEDED.
9th: J.Johnston, M. Dunstan
10th: M. Jackson, NEEDED.
11th: C.White. S.Sheerin.
12th: M.White, NEEDED.
……………..,,…………….,…………..
NEW Streets Icecream prices from this term.
Mini Calippo. $1.50
Paddle Pop $2.50
Pop Icy Twist $2.00
Cyclone $3.50
Click here to view the 2023 Canteen Price List
If you are able to assist on the above mentioned dates, please contact Canteen Manager Mrs. Sandra Woodall on woodalls@ignatius.vic.edu.au
Volunteers must hold a current WWCC. New volunteers must fill out the form provided via the link below.
Mrs. Sandra Woodall | Canteen Manager