MAC News 5 2023
Principal’s Report
‘Mutual Respect – Always and Everywhere, Aspire – Strive for Excellence, Contribute – To School, Local and Global Community’
We are already at the mid-point of Term 3 and life at MAC is certainly busy. The Graduates 12 have five weeks left of unit 4 classes and will no doubt be feeling the pressure of the looming exams, and for some students this is as early as 2 October with language and music performance exams.
We continue to prioritise student wellbeing, support, and connection with as much energy as teaching and learning. We also continually remind students that we are proud of them, that they are doing well and that doing their best is what counts. Our Senior School students really need this encouragement, and this is a message that we strive to reinforce with all students. If we are truly doing our best, there is little more than can be asked. Along with reinforcing these positive messages of encouragement and affirmation, we also continue our focus on the importance of teaching young people to be responsible learners, students, and citizens – to take responsibility for their actions. At MAC, we frame our approach to Positive Behaviours around three behaviour expectations: ‘Mutual Respect – Always and Everywhere, Aspire – Strive for Excellence, Contribute – To School, Local and Global Community’.
We believe that most of what is important for thriving at school fits within these broad behavioural expectations. We also deeply believe that the concept of responsibility is fundamental for life success, for all of us, young and older alike. Teaching students to take responsibility for their actions as they grow up is crucial for their personal development, character building, and success in life. By instilling a sense of responsibility, students learn to make informed choices, be accountable for their decisions, and understand the consequences of their actions. Families and school staff must work together to ensure our messaging and expectations are shared, clear, and supported.
It is pleasing to see many students wearing the new winter jacket and wearing the correct school uniform. I would like to remind parents/carers and students that the only track suit pants that can be worn are the school PE track pants with the school logo and, only during PE classes. In addition, students must not wear undergarments in place of school uniform and any undergarments must be concealed. I ask if possible that parents/carers please monitor their children are wearing the correct uniform each day and reach out to the school if they have any questions and need support with purchasing uniform items. A copy of the school uniform policy can be found on the College website or by clicking this link.
There have been many wonderful school events and activities this term – some personal highlights have included the Whole School Awards Assembly, the music concert, and the course counselling, which I have personally been involved in individually counselling students. I am looking forward to the upcoming Book and Science Weeks and the Graduates’ Formal in late September.
I would encourage parents/carers to get involved in the PFA Working Bee on Saturday 19 August from 9am – 12pm, which will focus on gardening. Morning Tea will be provided, and parents/carers can register via CompassTix here. It is a wonderful opportunity to not only help the school but meet the other parents. I would like to thank the PFA for their ongoing support of the school and students and appreciate their fundraising efforts and organisation of events which bring the college community together.
As always, I am immensely proud of our students and grateful for the hard working and committed staff who go above and beyond to support our students.
Kind regards,
Dani Angelico, Principal
Whole School Awards Assembly
Student Leadership
Gnurad Gundidj
Six lucky Above Entry 9 students from MAC are currently spending Term 3 at the Gnurad Gundidj School for Student Leadership. Elicia Henok, Nadine Abdou Said, Jasmine Ellis, Austin Jukes, Shuming King, and Arthur Shaw were the lucky successful applicants and are now enjoying their eight weeks away from home.
So far the students have been busy getting to know the students they are grouped with from Reservoir HS and Warragul Regional College. They have also been exploring the local area around Warnambool in Western Victoria and beginning to work on their Community Learning Project which will focus on MAC and our local community.
Duncan Hillier, Leading Teacher Student Leadership and Empowerment
Junior School
Entry Inquiry Project Showcase
Senior School
Try a Trade
During my visit to the Try a Trade excursion, I was presented with a diverse range of career options, including fashion and nursing. This experience broadened my perspective on potential career paths that I had not previously considered before.
Samantha Ponmany, Above Entry 10
Students in Year 10 and 11 were invited to spend the afternoon at the Try a Trade expo at the Moonee Valley Racing Club. There were more than a dozen stalls set up to give students a practical taste of a variety of pathways including: carpentry, hair and beauty, horticulture, sports and recreation, hospitality, locksmithery, and business.
Michael Buckingham, Senior School Academic Advisor
Music Performance
English
Book Week – ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’
We will be celebrating Book Week at MAC from Monday 21/08 to Friday 25/08. There will be lots of activities to participate in during the week such as trivia, debates, and a spelling and colouring competition. Students and staff are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character on Friday 25/08 so start planning those costumes!
If you would like to be involved in helping to run any of the activities, please see Ms Lawrence in the A-Block staffroom.
Apollo Bay WordFest Short Story Competition
Apollo Bay WordFest is an annual writer’s festival now in its 30th year that attracts many national and international writers to speak about their craft.
This year our students were invited to enter the festival’s short story competition and we are thrilled to report that MAC students Micah Khov (Above Entry 10) and Isabelle Del Rio (Above Entry 9) were shortlisted in the young adult section and that Zoe Marks (Graduate 2024) was announced as the overall winner.
Well done to all students that participated. These outstanding results are certainly a testament to our students’ commitment to developing their creative writing skills.
Nicole Lawrence, English Teaching and Learning Leader
Languages and Humanities
Chinese and Japanese Model UN
This year, 16 students from MAC attended both the Chinese and Japanese language Model United Nations conference. Students learned to discuss with other Victorian student delegates representing various countries in the target language from other schools on a set topic by the Australian Model UN organization.
The topic for Chinese language is ‘Quality education for all’. MAC students represented two countries for the Chinese delegates, Japan and South Africa. Jack Dowell, Cindy Nguyen, Kahu Mills and Caleb Quah were delegates for Japan; Estelle Kingston, Audrey Cassa Horsfield, Rigaroix Strack and Nathaniel Tran were delegates for South Africa. In a team they delivered a 3-minutes of speech on their represented country stand and tried to make an amendment to one of the caucasus during the conference.
The topic set for Japanese students is ‘Sustainable city and community, towards a resilient future’. MAC students represented two countries, Canada and India. Micah Khov, Ryan Vuong, Claude Wilson and Brandon Monk were selected delegates for Canada; Mathew Wiseman, Madeline Jansen, Katsuki Yamanaka and Ren Nguyen were delegates for India. In teams they not only delivered a statement for their represented countries, they also successfully changed one of the caucasus by gaining support at the conference from other delegating countries and voted passed at the conference.
As one of the rare State School representatives among so many elite private schools, MAC students have represented the State School very well.
2023 Victorian schools 7-9 Chinese reading competition final
Estelle Kingston represented MAC for the Year 9 finalist for the event. She was among the 30 best school students in Victoria’s final competition. The final competition took place at the University of Melbourne and Estelle came second in the year 9 section for the event. Congratulations for such a remarkable result.
Ching Chan, Chinese and Japanese Teacher
Arts and Technology
Food Studies
What a delight to see both returning Food Studies students and new MasterChef and PreVCE MasterChef Students in the MAC Kitchens for Semester 2!
In preparation for their upcoming MAT, our MasterChef classes have been exploring vegetarian and omnivore options of baked snacks, popular parmigiana, burgers and cannelloni.
Pre VCE MasterChefs we have been looking at the role of our senses in the food that we produce and also how cooking changes the sensory properties of foods leading us to enjoy them more.
The Unit 2 VCE Food Studies students have taken a deep dive into the Australian food system with all the various components (from primary production to marketing, purchasing and food waste), its challenges, opportunities and trends…This included how food citizenship and food sovereignty are healthily challenging commercial food producers and retailers.
Our Unit 4 VCE Food Studies Students used information from credible sources, such as that from dietitians, in their preparation of healthy meals as well as how to combat food security and food waste by cooking with commonly found food items in your fridge.
Here are two recipes explored from a vegetarian and omnivore perspective (please note: scaling will need to be adjusted as they often are written to serve two people)
- Spinach and Pine Nut Cannelloni
- Beef & Mushroom Cannelloni
And a non-profit organisation that promotes food security through support and education OzHarvest.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @macmasterchef for all our culinary adventures.
Lezanne Webb-Johnson, Food Studies Teacher
Photography
Art Attack
Students looked towards the Australian contemporary Artist Deborah Kelly known for her eclectic, uplifting, socially-engaged and activist art. Students worked as a group to create their own patterned paper using inks and dyes then used these papers in their own portrait collage of a diverse range of artists.
Nicole Beran, Visual Arts and Fashion Teacher
Fashion and Costume
Soft Sculptures inspired by artist Paula do Prado
Students looked towards the Sydney based Artist Paula do Prado whose practice engages with textiles, collage and soft objects. Exploring identity and belonging, students created their own soft sculpture objects that represented them. Students used the sewing machine to construct and worked with colour, pattern and texture to create layers of meaning in their fabric sculptures.
Nicole Beran, Visual Arts and Fashion Teacher
Mathematics
Entry students have been gathering their data in preparation for their statistics project – their first major assessment task for the semester in Maths. Students had five challenges to complete in small groups: the shoelace race, the measuring challenge, the paper ball toss, the dumbbell challenge, plus they had to conduct a survey.
Alex O’Brien, Mathematics and English Teacher
Science
Medicine and Disease
Interschool Sport
2023 Victorian All School Cross Country Championships
On 19 June, MAC students competed in the regional cross country at Brimbank Park. The course was very muddy, and very slippery. The MAC Year 7 girls came 1st overall. Well done to Florence Lamari, Amy Morris, Winnie Bell, Francesca Portelli and Fifi Thomas for earning this award. Congratulations to Florence, Amy, Winnie, Francesca and Oscar for getting to state.
On 13 July, the state cross country was held at Yarra Glen Racecourse. Like the regionals course, it was also muddy and slippery. Florence Lamari came 5th, Amy Morris came 45th, Winnie Bell came 62nd in the 12/13 Girls secondary race, and Oscar Lichter came 23rd in the 15yo Boys race. Well done to everyone who competed in regionals and state.
Fifi Thomas, Amy Morris and Florence Lamari, Entry students
Student Wellbeing
eSafety’s free webinars provide parents and carers with the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe, positive online experiences.
To register, see the 2023 parent and carer webinar schedule, and to learn more, visit here.
eSafety Conversation Starters:
Looking for ways to have online safety discussions at home? Have a look at this activity!
These question cards are designed to be used in a family or education setting to start everyday conversations about online safety. The cards cover topics such as identifying online risks, using technology safely and reporting unsafe behaviour. Use them together with the information at eSafety young people and empower young people to take control of their online experiences.
Recommended approach:
- Print the questions on a sheet of A4/3 paper and cut into individual cards.
- Divide cards into two piles: ‘Ask an adult’ and ‘Ask a young person’.
- To play, adults and young people take turns to pick a card from their pile and answer the question.
- Browse eSafety young people to find more information on how to stay safe online.
References & Further Information here.
Michelle Hynson, School Health Promotion Nurse, Monday and Tuesday
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.
Drug & Alcohol Use
“Alcohol is Australia’s most significant drug problem. On average, one kid dies every weekend from binge drinking and 60 kids are hospitalised every week. It’s important for parents to lead by example and set behavioural boundaries for their kids.” Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
There is no single age group of people more affected by alcohol and drugs than our young people. For some, a one time or infrequent use of alcohol or drugs can result in tragedy: alcohol poisoning, an accident or fall when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or an arrest associated with alcohol or drugs.
Young people who use alcohol and drugs before their brain has fully developed, are at increased risk for future addiction. Those who start drinking alcohol before the age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol abuse or dependence than those who first use alcohol at age 18 or older.
Click on this link to view the full report and resources on this topic.
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. 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.
Get back into your health and fitness goals the right way! Start now and don’t pay any joining fee and get yourself 2 weeks free! Offer Valid until 31 August 2023. Check out our club here: https://www.snapfitness.com/au/gyms/ascot-vale