MAC News 4 2023
Principal’s Report
Dear MAC Community,
As the term comes to an end, I would like to acknowledge the hard work and effort of our staff who have gone above and beyond in assisting with moving into the new building. It has been a huge undertaking and would not have been possible without them.
On Friday 16 June, the Ms Natalie Hutchens, Minister for Education, visited the College to officially open the new building. She was accompanied by the Mr Danny Pearson, Local Member for Essendon. The event was hosted by the College Captains, Luke Vella, Rea Tinoy and Bilhah Ryan, and included a tour of the building, visiting several classes, chatting to teachers and students. The Minister and invited guests were impressed by the new facilities, but more importantly, by the display of student work and learning, and the students themselves. I would like to thank everyone who was involved on the day including the Student Leaders, many of whom were involved in ushering guests and running tours. Photos from the day have been included in this newsletter.
I would like to take the opportunity to farewell Mr Vicendese who has been filling in for Ms Johnston this term, and Ms Sjolin who has been taking Humanities classes for Ms O’Brien who left at the end of term 1. Mr Vicendese has taken a position at Templestowe College and Ms Sjolin is returning to home in Canada. We wish them both all the best. In term 3, we welcome Ms Taylor who will teach the Humanities classes until the end of the year. Ms Fernando is also continuing in the Maths teaching role until the end of the year.
As the term ends and we look forward to the new semester, I would like to remind students that it is essential for students’ learning success that they are focused on being well organised, healthy, and prepared for learning. This means keeping track of all important messages, emails, and dates, including checking Compass and Google Classroom. I also reiterate the importance of students wearing the correct school uniform. At MAC, we believe that wearing a uniform promotes respect, unity, and pride. Wearing the school uniform helps to create a sense of belonging and can increase student engagement. It also helps to foster a sense of responsibility and discipline; these are all traits that matter a great deal. We ask families to support our school’s uniform policy. This means ensuring that your child has all the garments required for school and they wear them correctly and neatly each day. I encourage you to contact the College if you need assistance with purchasing uniform and we will be very happy to help.
I would like to clarify some details regarding the Uniform Policy. The Policy stipulates that students are not permitted to wear non-uniform items. These include hoodies, undergarments, and jumpers that can be seen. The student leaders worked very hard last year to design a winter jacket which is now on sale at the Uniform Shop. The jacket is warm and looks fantastic, and it is great to see many students wearing it. There should be no reason for students to be wearing non-uniform items if they have their polo, jumper, or regular jacket on and the new winter jacket. A number of students are choosing to wear undergarments as uniform rather than wearing the jumper and/or jacket. I would like to remind parents that we have had the option of a long sleeve polo for a number of years now and students should consider wearing this as an option. Students have the option of wearing grey pants or shorts. These must be plain College grey pants, not cargo pants or jeans and should be purchased from the Uniform Shop. The PFA runs a Second-hand Uniform Shop that operates on the first Monday of every month and as mentioned we are happy to assist students with the purchase of uniform as required.
A reminder that black shorts or track pants with the College logo must be worn in PE. Students may wear their PE uniform to school if they have PE period 1 and are permitted to travel home in their PE uniform if they have PE period 4. At all other times students must change into their PE uniform and back into their academic uniform. Finally, you would be aware that the student leaders worked with School Council last year to change the Shoe Policy which included all black leather or material sneakers. The Policy states that the whole shoe must be black including the sole. I am asking for your support in ensuring that your children are in correct uniform. You may be contacted if your child continues to be out of uniform, and in instances where the student has the correct uniform at home and has chosen not to wear it, that may be asked to go home and get changed. Please contact your child’s Head of House if you need further information or need to discuss the uniform needs of your child.
Every day I am grateful to walk into MAC and see the energy and personality of the people that fill the school. I am proud of our students and learning community and I hope that the students are proud of themselves, their achievements, and their school.
Wishing the students and staff a restful break. I hope that our Graduates who are continuing to study and revise do take some time to recharge after what has been a very hectic and stressful term.
Kind regards,
Dani Angelico, Principal
Minister’s Visit and Official Opening of B-Block
The Big Pour
Vocal Concert
Senior School
Michael Buckingham, Senior School Academic Advisor
Interschool Sport
Regional Cross Country
On Monday 19 June, some students from MAC went to participate in the regional Cross Country at Brimbank Park. All of our students did really well and did their best. My age group is the 12/13 girls secondary schools, and overall, MAC came first in our age group. Well done to Florence, Winnie, Frankie and Amy in getting into the top twelve and into state! I came 35th out of 80. The course was very challenging. It had rained overnight, and there were lots of hills. Well done to everyone who went to regionals, and those who will go on to compete at state level.
Fifi Thomas, Entry student
The Western Metropolitan Regional Cross Country Championship featured 22 MAC students ranging from Year 7-10. = The track we ran on was a hilly course with mud everywhere. There were about 70 students in each race with the top 12 advancing through to the State Championships next term. We are very proud that we have multiple students advancing to States, these students include; Florence (4th), Amy (10th), Winnie (11th), Francesca (Team), Jordy (4th), Oscar (5th) and Javier (11th).
I’m also very proud to be part of the U15 Boys (Oscar, Xavier, Jack P, Finn & Jack C) team which placed 2nd as a team (behind Strathmore). This is a great effort from the lads as we beat schools like Seda and Marby. Congratulations to the U13 Girls and U16 Boys for placing on the podium as teams. Overall the day was a huge success as we had great fun in the rain. Congratulations to students who participated and good luck to students who will be competing at the State Championships next term. A huge thanks to Ms Langdon & Mr Phillips for braving the cold and taking us to the event.
Xavier Huang, Above Entry 9 student
Year 7 Girls Netball
Year 7 Girls Interschool Netball was such a great day – we all played our best and had such a great time!
We faced some hard teams but managed to get to the semi-finals. We didn’t know if we were going to win but we gave it our all and thrashed our opponent – Buckley. We then went on to the grand final which was so exciting! It was such a tough game against Strathmore and unfortunately, we lost, but we were all so proud of ourselves for the effort and work we put in to get to the grand final and place 2nd overall.
A big thanks to Ms Belinda Crowe and Amelia Kenny for coming along, helping us train and so much more! We couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks to everyone who helped us, the umpires, Ms Emily Volpe, and many more people!
Francesca Portelli, Entry student
Year 7 Boys and Girls Interschool Soccer
On 16 May, two teams of Entry (year 7) students went to Keilor Park to play soccer against five other schools. This was a good experience and a day of competition and fun. The experience brought all of us, players, closer with each other, making a better team bonding on the pitch.
The girls played Strathmore first and lost 6–0. The girls made a good comeback with 2-0 against Rosehill. In the final game the girls won 1-0 against Siri. The girls did not qualify for the finals.
The boy’s team’s first game was against Rosehill and they tied. The second game the boys played was against Essendon college and they won. The boys made it to the finals but unfortunately lost the finals to Strathmore.
Emma Derriman and Lizzie Huang, Entry students
Science
STILE is inviting students to their HQ on the holidays – Free pizza, games, prizes and Stile updates!
STILE is looking for secondary school students to join them at Stile HQ in Melbourne on Monday, 26th June (week 1 holidays) to test out their latest labs, activities, features and simulations. You’ll receive lunch, and prizes, and get a sneak peek of the latest Stile-ish updates.
More info here https://stileapp.com/static/student_poster.png
If you are interested, register here
The Science and Engineering Day (SED) is a face-to-face one day event where students will have a chance to explore STEM fields through three workshops.
The 3 workshops activities will range from (1) Sustainability and Space, (2) Catapult and (3) EV3 LEGO Mindstorms.
The SED is open to students of all genders.
Date: Thursday 29 June (Week 1 on the holidays)
Time: 9:30 AM – 2:10 PM (Registration starts at 9:30 AM)
Location: University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Registration: Eventbrite link
ASX School Share Market Game
We had a small number of active participants in this round finishing at the end of May. A large number of students were registered but did not trade in the time available; these students will undoubtedly be ready to participate more fully in the second game for which registrations open on 20 July and the game runs from 17 August to 26 October.
Once again there was a lot of uncertainty in the stock market during the game period. Our best performer was Olivia Del Rio (Above Entry 8) who did quite a lot of trading in a number of different companies and finished with a value of $53,495 from her starting value of $50,000.
Graeme Morgan, Teacher of Senior Mathematics
Arts and Technology
Food Technology
It’s been a fast and eventful finish up to term 2 in the MAC Kitchens.
Graduates of 2023 and 2024 have been working hard with exams, final assessments and wrapping up of units 1 and 3. Most excitedly, Food Studies students attend an excursion to culinary school of Hospitality William Angliss and a ‘Learning through Lunch’ program with the support of community partner Ardoch. Students took a tour of the world class facilities and then enjoyed an incredible fine dining experience! Congratulations to our Food Studies VCE students on all your efforts, we are at the mid way point!
In Pre-VCE MasterChef, it was an exciting few weeks as students presented and pitched their ideas for the next food trend to ‘go viral’. From Big Mac Tacos, Brookies (a brownie x cookie collab) to #fakeaway (homemade popular take-away options – such a HSP), it was an incredible showcase of ideas. Students demonstrated their understanding of how social media #trends are not always what they seem and how we can be critical food citizens.
MasterChef classes cultural focus culminated in students presenting and to the class about and cooking a designed food item from a country or culture of their choice. It was a global feast with almost every continent represented. Well done Masterchef on an incredible effort and semester!
Wishing all our students and families a safe break – filled with great food adventures!
Here are some of our favorite recipes (please note: scaling will need to be adjusted as they often are written to serve two people)
- Chicken Adobo (Filipino Chicken & rice – Asia)
- Tacos (Mexico – Americas)
- Korean Chicken Burger (Going Viral)
- Salmon Bowl (Going Viral)
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @macmasterchef … particularly if we are welcoming you into the kitchens next Semester!
Thank you,
Lezanne Webb-Johnson, Food Studies Teacher
Student Wellbeing
SchoolTV
SchoolTV is an online resource designed to empower parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. You can access SchoolTV by either clicking the SchoolTV icon on the home page or this link.
SPECIAL REPORT: Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers have become powerful individuals who often shape the opinions and beliefs of others due to strong connections with their audiences. In today’s fast-paced digital world, attention has become a valuable commodity.
However, the impact of social media influencers on youth mental health is a growing concern, most recently, the controversial actions and statements of Andrew Tate. His rise to fame has made him a polarising figure, amassing a significant following of mostly young males. Educators and families have raised urgent concerns about the damaging nature of Tate’s content, worried that his messages may radicalise students and create a generation of young men with regressive and harmful beliefs.
Young people often compare themselves to the idealised lives presented by influencers, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth and dissatisfaction. Social media algorithms may also expose them to inappropriate or harmful content such as explicit material, promotion of harmful behaviours, or distorted perceptions of body image or mental health.
It is important to guide a young person’s social media use and promote open communication. Be curious to comprehend why they might be drawn to radical influencers, like Andrew Tate, and actively seek understanding as part of the solution. While not all influencers have a negative impact, parents play a vital role in ensuring a balanced approach to social media. By actively modelling kindness, respect and positive values, parents can help tackle the sway of radical influencers and be part of the solution to countering unhealthy masculinity.
This Special Report provides guidance on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation, instead encouraging critical thinking and emphasising the value of real-life connections. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.
Click on this link to view the Special Report.
The How and Why of Practicing Gratitude
What is gratitude?
Everyone has times when they feel aware of being thankful for a person or a situation. These moments give us a good feeling that we call ‘gratitude’.
Feeling grateful just happens sometimes, but you can also make a special effort to increase how often you feel it. Research has shown that people with high levels of gratitude experience a whole bunch of benefits, so it’s a great idea to increase your own.
This can help if:
- you want a strategy for helping to deal with a tough time
- you want to boost your mood
- you want to cultivate awareness and appreciation for the good things in your life
The benefits of gratitude:
Increasing your gratitude is useful because:
- it’s an instant mood booster and feels great in the moment
- you’re likely to feel closer to friends and family
- you’re likely to enjoy your life more
- it’s good for your physical health
- it’s easier to cope with tough times
- good things in life don’t stick in our heads as easily as bad events
How to practice gratitude:
Experiencing more gratitude is easy and doesn’t take much time. Try these ideas and see what works best for you:
- Keep a gratitude journal. Take five minutes each day or once a week to think of and write down three things that have happened to you since the previous day or week that you’re glad you experienced.
- Take pictures. Set yourself a mission to photograph little things in your everyday life that make you smile.
- Tell someone you’re grateful to have them in your life. Whether it’s someone you look up to, or someone who just makes you happy, take the time to tell them you’re glad they’re around.
References: https://au.reachout.com/
Michelle Hynson, School Health Promotion Nurse
Resource Centre
Staff and students can use the Library Catalogue (login using the Single Sign On with your school email address and password) from school and from home. It’s a great way to see what books are on offer in the library and to reserve a book that you’ve been looking forward to reading.
A friendly reminder to anyone who has overdue books to please return them to the Resource Centre. Bringing books back by their due date ensures that everyone is able to enjoy our collection.
Do you know we have ebooks and audiobooks?
The Eplatform has over 2500 ebooks and audiobooks that you can read or listen to with new books being added every day. You can access it by downloading the app on your device and signing in with your school details in the Single Sign On (SSO). Find out more here: mountalexandercollege.wheelers.co
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is in full swing at Mount Alexander College. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:
- access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
- a modern user-friendly interface
- rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
- the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2023.
Students from Year 7 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge
Remember
Students were given a physical copy of their login details during Mentoring. If a student needs to get these details again, they can contact Carla Iannarella in the Resource Centre.
To log in, visit the PRC website. Click the sign in button below ‘School Coordinator or Student’ and select ‘VPRC login’. Insert your login details.
We have already seen an enthusiastic response from students, but please note that 10 out of the 15 books read must be from the Challenge list. You can access this list on the VPRC website here.
Students can also find books on the Challenge list in our school Library Catalogue in the Quick Lists. There is a list for Years 7 and 8 and Years 9 and 10.
Carla Iannarella, Resource Centre, Communications and Marketing Manager
Parents and Friends Association
MAC Parents and Friends is a vibrant and friendly forum for parents, carers and interested members of the community to discuss matters relating to the College.
It provides an opportunity to become involved in the life of the College, ensuring the College continues to provide the best education and is the local community’s school of choice.
MAC Parents and Friends meets at 6:00pm on the first Monday of the month during school terms in the Resource Centre. Meetings are publicised in the school newsletter, and on the events calendar.
All members and new members are warmly invited to attend.
To receive notifications of forthcoming meetings, email the PFA: mac.parents.friends@gmail.com
Community News and Advertising
We advertise and support local organisations that reside in our catchment area. These suburbs include Flemington, Kensington, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, Maribyrnong, West Brunswick, North Melbourne, and Parkville.
I teach woodwind, flute, Clarinet, Saxophone and Concert Band at Mount Alexander College. As a form of professional development, I began learning cello at the beginning of this year and fell in love. I promptly joined an orchestra to hone my skills. I would like to invite you and four families to come and enjoy an afternoon of orchestral delights where I will make my debut amongst the cello section.
Squawkestra is an orchestra for adult beginners and rusty players based in Northcote. It is a community-based orchestra that began with a group of five string players in November 2006 and has continued to grow. Members of the orchestra have varied backgrounds and interests. The current membership is around 50 players.
Karen Doyle, Instrumental Music Teacher
Young people can sign up for the activities via our website or by clicking on the links below:
- Follow the Thread Scavengers Hunt – Launches Sunday 25 June
- Notebook Collaging workshop – Tuesday 27 June
- Virtual Reality Gaming – Wednesday 28 June
- Japanese cooking class – Thursday 29 June
- Around the World in One Day Cultural Festival – Sunday 2 July
- Arancini cooking class – Sunday 2 July
- Dumpling cooking class – Sunday 2 July
- Tiramisu cooking class – Sunday 2 July
- Bollywood dance workshops – Sunday 2 July
- African Drumming workshops – Sunday 2 July
- Cookie Decorating workshop – Wednesday 5 July
- Social Justice Art for Teens – Thursday 6 July
- Game Off! – Thursday 6 July
- Laser Tag and Bowling – Friday 7 July
These activities are FREE, except for the cooking classes and Social Justice Art for Teens workshop which are $10 – $20.
Places are limited for these activities so we encourage you to sign up early! If you’ve got any questions about the school holiday activities, we’d love to help answer them! Call us on 9243 1225 or email us at youth@mvcc.vic.gov.au