Social Justice Hot Cross Buns Sale (recess)
GSV Dive and Swim Finals Evening
Project Compassion - Voices for Change Concert (lunchtime)
Last Day of Term 1 (Students finish at 1.30 pm)
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
French Study Tour returns
Staff day (Student-free day)
All students return for Term 2
With the end of Term 1, 2024 less than a week away, it is an opportune time to reflect on the term and to acknowledge and thank all those who have made the term possible.
To all our students, thank you for the spirit in which you have entered into the term, for the many ways in which you have worked with your WAGLs, Homeroom teachers, subject teachers, staff, and peers to support each other to achieve your best. I hope you have participated in your classes well by always seeking to improve your knowledge and your skills. I also hope that you have taken the chance to engage with the co-curricular activities offered this term as they can support you to deepen and extend friendships and support your wellbeing and sense of connectedness to our community.
To our dedicated teachers, thank you for your unwavering support of our students, for the commitment and time you take to get to know the students in your classes and prepare their learning journey over the course of the year. Without your expertise and steadfast support, our students would not enjoy the learning opportunities they need to develop as learners and achieve personal success. Thank you also to the staff who have supported the co-curricular programs we offer; in many ways they also allow our students to flourish in their personal and inter-personal development.
Thank you to all our Support Staff, the ones who often work behind the scenes, who respond to our community needs, complete the essential administrative tasks, maintain our facilities and infrastructure and prepare for the activities our students enjoy and our parents and carers value. Without our Support Staff, the College would not operate as smoothly as it does.
With great respect and gratitude, I also acknowledge the contribution of our Parents and Carers. Thank you for supporting our Information evenings and special events such as the Year 7 Family Mass and the Year 9 City Experience evening. Thank you to those who availed themselves of our SEQTA Information evening and those who have signed up for our Tuning into Teens program. Thank you to those I see early in the morning dropping off their children for GSV training or music rehearsals and those who are supporting our students in their Senior Play rehearsals. In particular, I acknowledge the tremendous support offered to the College by our Parents' Association who work tirelessly to welcome all families.
Other members of our community who may also be considered to work behind the scenes but who are essential to the life of the College, are our College Board of Directors and the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion. I thank them for their ongoing guidance, advice, direction and support, especially during the current times of construction and change for our school. We have certainly benefitted from their discernment this term.
Finally, I thank the staff who hold leadership positions at the College for the work they undertake and the planning they support their teams to complete. Thank you also to our Leadership Team. Term 1 has certainly been another busy and complex time, and I am forever grateful for the support of our Deputy Principals, Director of Organisation, Director of Business Operations & Infrastructure and Ms Libby Kempton the staff member on our team this year. I am not too proud to say that without their leadership, it would be a great challenge for me to lead our beautiful school.
In many ways, the readings for last Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Lent exemplify that in order to truly flourish we must offer ourselves fully to others. When we let go of our own needs and share our time, support, knowledge and skills with others, we lead more meaningful and fruitful lives and our community is strengthened by the contribution each person makes.
As we approach the most important days of the Christian tradition, I wish all within our school a very happy and hope filled Easter. May the love and peace of God accompany each moment of your days spent with families and loved ones.
On Sunday, 17 March I had the pleasure of attending the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Creative Arts Exhibition. This year we had five Year 12 students work selected for this exhibition. Congratulations to Alexandra McG (12 Blue), Zaneta S (12 Blue), Amy G (12 White), Scarlett R (12 Purple) and Lillie D (12 Red). Their works were amongst the 200 pieces chosen from all Catholic schools across Melbourne.
A particular congratulations to Scarlett whose piece 'The Veil' won two awards, firstly the National Gallery of Victoria Award for Creativity, Secondary prize and also the Zart Art Sculpture and 3D Art Encouragement Award – Secondary. Well done Scarlett, we hope this acknowledgement of your talent and hard work inspires you and others.
The chance to showcase our school is always an honour and this week’s Open Day was another successful opportunity to do so. Over the course of the afternoon, our Year 8 students and key staff welcomed over 500 visitors who then enjoyed guided tours led by our Year 10 and 11 Tour Guides. Our visitors were able to speak with a broad range of students and leaders in our piazza while at the same time enjoying the hospitality offered by our Parents' Association who ran a sausage sizzle and our VCE VM students who showcased their barista skills with our coffee cart.
Thank you to the planning team who brought the day to life, thank you to the students especially those who led tours, ran activities, answered questions, and ultimately shared their learning and co-curricular experiences with our visitors, thank you to the teachers and staff who have been working towards the day for a number of weeks. And finally thank to our volunteers from our Parents’ Association for their hospitality and welcome of other families who are about to begin their Sion journey.
We are now taking applications for Year 7, 2026. If you have a daughter currently in Year 5 and/or know another family who has, please note that applications can be made online by visiting our website. Applications close on Friday, 16 August 2024.
With every blessing for a very happy Easter and restful term break.
Tina Apostolopoulos
Last Friday Mrs Garnham and I had the privilege of accompanying nine of our senior students to the Mass of St Patrick for Schools at St Patrick’s Cathedral. This was part of the celebrations for this year’s Catholic Education Week for Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. It was a very joyous occasion.
Following on from this, we attended the Young Speakers’ Colloquium held at the Catholic Leadership Centre. Students from across Melbourne gathered to listen to inspirational students who had participated in Catholic Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal or had participated in the ACU School Leaders Program in Rome and London, which were both held last year.
I was truly struck by the passion and maturity with which all participants spoke about their faith journey, the importance that faith plays in their lives and their messages of hope in our world today.
Our Liturgy Captain Emma G (12 Blue) was one of the panellists who spoke about her experience participating in the ACU School Leaders Program:
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the faith journeys of other young people, and their insights into how we should be living out our faith, as leaders of the future. Their advice and perspectives were inspiring for us all.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak on a panel during this colloquium, discussing themes of faith, hope and love, and my experience attending the ACU School Leaders Program in Rome and London last year. I was able to share some of my favourite experiences, and give my advice to students who seek to progress on their faith journey. This would be to have trust in God and believe he will guide you in the right direction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this colloquium, and walked away from it feeling inspired and reinforced in my faith.
The most sacred week in the liturgical calendar is Holy Week. This will be commencing this Sunday which is called Palm Sunday and culminates with Easter Sunday. As is tradition, the College community will gather on Holy Thursday for our special student led Lenten reflection on the Stations of the Cross.
Wishing all members of the College community many blessings and peace this Easter season.
And just like that, we are at the end of Term 1. What a busy term. Our Year 7s have met all of their teachers, familiarised themselves with the College, undertaken the PAT assessments as well as the NAPLAN, and are now on a full homework schedule. Our Year 8 students have been on an excursion for Humanities, the Year 9s have learnt about the City of Melbourne (and completed NAPLAN) and the Year 10 students have felt the jump from 9 to 10, adapting to the pace of learning and the new electives available to them. The Year 11 students have moved into the Notre Dame Centre and have become accustomed to the language of VCE and our Year 12 students have all completed their first round of SACs. They have debated, sung and cheered each other on. There have been trips to Art Exhibitions, presentation nights (well done to the Year 9s for the City Experience Presentations) and rehearsals for the play. And still there has been time for Open Day, camps and feast days. We have had parent nights, soirees and GSV competitions. No wonder we need a break!
April 15 is a student free day as staff work on the Our Lady of Sion College Pedagogical Framework. This is an articulation of how we approach learning and teaching and why we do it in this way. More details will be available as we ‘launch’ later in the year. The Student Progress Meetings are also approaching in weeks one and two. Families will receive information about how to register through PTO on Monday. Details are on SEQTA too but please contact the College if you have any questions. Please also use the information available to you via SEQTA Engage, there is both formative and summative assessment information posted as well as each lesson’s Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, which give you a good indication of what your child is learning (and can provide you with some questions to ask them!).
Students have been encouraged to submit any subject selection changes for Semester 2 now, as the timetable is already constructed, not all of these can be accommodated but we always look for ways to support the students as best as possible.
I wish everyone a restful break and the group going to France (including myself) safe travels. Bon Voyage and Happy Easter!
Life is a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, presenting us all with challenges and setbacks that can test our resilience. For our students, it might be receiving a disappointing test result, experiencing a friendship breakdown, or facing not getting that leadership role. These moments can stir up a range of emotions that may be difficult to process.
It is important that young people learn to "sit with discomfort" during challenging times. It's natural for emotions to be most intense immediately after an event, with feelings fluctuating as they process what has happened. However, with time, support, and self-care, they often find themselves moving towards a place of acceptance and a clearer frame of mind. This emotional journey enables them to problem solve and plan for the future in a more balanced way.
For young people, such as our students, learning to sit with discomfort is a valuable life skill. It teaches them that running away from emotions does not help them develop the coping skills needed to navigate life's ups and downs effectively.
As parents and carers, there are several ways we can support your children in developing this important skill. Firstly, it's crucial to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for them to express their emotions. Encouraging them to talk about how they feel and validating their emotions can help them process their experiences. Additionally, modelling healthy coping mechanisms and self-care practices can teach them how to manage stress and adversity positively.
It is also important to know when you need to gently support and help them break down the challenges into do-able parts versus seeking support if you feel that concerns are significant. Worries that induce anxiety that is pervasive and severe and might be part of a mental health concern may require counselling or a visit to your GP.
Parents and carers are reminded to not rush to solve every problem for our children nor to amplify their children’s distress with their own. In times like these, children need understanding and a calm approach to develop resilience; often modelled on their parents ability to address setbacks in a positive and hopeful way. Adults should aim to strike a balance between offering support and guidance yet allowing them to face challenges independently.
By empowering our children to sit with discomfort, we are equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life's challenges with grace and resilience.
Our particular thoughts and prayers go to Mrs Jennifer Schwab, our College Art, Studio Arts and Textiles Teacher, for the recent passing of her mother. Her mother was a tremendous supporter of Mrs Schwab's work at the College and attended productions and art exhibitions until recently.
We remember Mrs Schwab and her family in a special way at this sad time.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may your perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen.
As first term draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Year 12 students on their amazing efforts in completing the first term of their final year at secondary school. The diligence and commitment they have shown towards their studies is to be commended.
Amidst the hard work our Year 12 students have also demonstrated a willingness to get involved in the extra activities on offer throughout the year. A couple of weeks ago we witnessed musical talent amongst the cohort by those who involved themselves in a karaoke session at lunch time. A big thank you also to the 20 Year 12 students who took part in a study skills session with our Year 9 students during a pastoral lesson. The Year 9 students were very appreciative of the tips given by the older girls to help them remain organised with their studies.
I would also like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to the Year 12s for their participation in Open Day on Tuesday. Some students participated in activities while others attended their scheduled classes. Regardless of their involvement I was extremely proud of the way they conducted themselves as ambassadors for the school.
During the term break it is really important that our Year 12 students adopt a balanced approach to having some much needed rest while also revising and studying. This is to ensure they enter back into Term Two with a renewed energy and a sense of being up to date with their work.
I would like to thank you as parents and carers of our Year 12 students for your open communication and support throughout the term and I wish you and your families a very happy Easter.
Congratulations to the Year 11 cohort for making it through their first Term of VCE and VM. I have enjoyed watching these young people find their feet after several changes and challenges that have come their way.
As young people, they continue to navigate growing independence and understanding themselves as a person. We hope they ‘step up’ to the challenges that come their way, to focus on:
To ‘step up’ students will inevitably take ownership and accountability for themselves. I would encourage your child to take risks, reach out and ask for help. Whether that is directed towards their Homeroom teacher, subject teacher, or a trusted adult within the school community.
The final Pastoral lessons for Term 1 consisted and will consist of the following:
Whether your child is participating in VCE or VM - there are a lot of new processes, routines, and questions to be asked. If you need any support and guidance, please know there are some important people you might need to contact:
As a team, we work together to monitor and support your child - from an academic and pastoral perspective. Please continue to reach out if you have questions regarding processes and support for VCE and VM programs.
Well done Year 11s! Acknowledge and celebrate your successes. Consider what you have learned across the past 10 weeks. We look forward to seeing you back at school for Term 2.
What an amazing term the Year 10 cohort has experienced. Commencing Year 10, opening College Mass, Duke of Edinburgh's Adventurous Journey and Homeroom leaders announced. This along with all the learning, GSV, music, drama, art, debating and house activities that have been available to the Year 10s.
Today we celebrate the following achievements:
Wednesday 13 March - Friday 15 March saw our Year 10s venture up to Lake Eildon National Park, to explore all that this region has to offer. They immersed themselves with bushwalking, canoeing, mountain bike riding, rafting, setting up tents and cooking on Trangias. For many of our young people, this was their first experience of this type of camping and rotational activities. What staff saw, each and every day, was a group of young people willing to explore their potential, to see what they could do as they immersed themselves in all the activities and challenges presented. The Sion leaders and I are so proud of the students who participated, you all thrived in this environment and should be so proud of yourselves. You will all remember your Duke of Ed - Adventurous journey for years to come.
Early next week, all Year 10 students will have the opportunity to enter their final two reflections onto their online record book (ORB), which will, hopefully, be the last step in completing your Duke of Edinburgh - Bronze award.
I would like to thank the following staff members who accompanied the Year 10s last week. We thank you for your guidance and support: Ms.Bennett, Mrs Chalmers, Ms McDonald, Miss Stafford, Miss McGovern, Mr Whitely, Miss Rebecca, Mr Kelly, Mr Steward, Mr Nguyen and Ms Callum. I also thank Mrs Kralj for her support at the College during our adventurous journey.
In early March, Zara T (10 Blue), competed in the Victorian Karate State Championships. Congratulations to Zara who won the gold medal in the Cadet/Junior kata division, won the silver medal in the female junior kata division and won the bronze medal in the female senior kata division.
Congratulations Zara on an outstanding achievement.
Our congratulations go to the following Year 10 students who have taken up the role of being their Homeroom leaders:
We look forward to you all leading our Homerooms through this year.
All of these achievements don’t happen by chance. They happen thanks to the support of many and the willingness of all individuals to put up their hand and give it a go. Each time we turn up, each time we try, each time we learn we are developing our #innerexcellence, we are developing our intrinsic skills that allow us to thrive.
To all of the Year 10 community, stay safe over the Easter break, enjoy time with your family and we look forward to travelling with you all throughout Term 2.
As Term 1 comes to an end, and therefore the start of my Maternity Leave next week, I wanted to express my thanks to all parents and carers for your support in making the start to 2024 so successful for the Year 9s.
It has been a privilege to spend this time with your daughters and know they will find great success under the guidance of Mrs Jennifer Tilley throughout the remainder of 2024.
I would also like to thank the Year 9 Homeroom team for supporting each student in their return to school. The students have settled back in very well overall.
I would like to congratulate the following students on their appointment as Homeroom Leaders for 2024:
These students should all be very proud of themselves as it is an honour to be selected by their classmates to fulfil a position such as this. For all those who applied but were not successful, this too takes great courage and commitment and this is recognised with a Community Spirit Point. It is a great experience to apply for leadership regardless of the outcome. We encourage all students to lead in their own way and we often voice to the students that ‘you don’t need a badge to lead’.
Also in this newsletter, Ms Rebecca Bennett has written a piece on City Experience, I would like to follow on from this by thanking her for all the hard work in putting this opportunity together for the students. City Experience is an incredible learning experience for all students and thank you to Ms Bennett for making this all possible.
Finally, please be reminded that next term is the return of the winter academic uniform so please note the following:
Please take a moment to ensure your daughter is presented correctly before leaving for school in the mornings where possible.
I wish the Year 9s and their families to have an exciting and rewarding Term 2 as they will continue our Social Justice Campaign for ‘Days for Girls’ and further explore our theme of ‘Have Courage and Be Kind’.
Have a safe, restful, and enjoyable holidays and Easter break.
This week during our Pastoral lesson, we completed some follow-up activities from the session with Toolbox Education on ‘thinking traps’ to solidify the skills learnt in this workshop. Please refer to my previous newsletter article for a summary of this to continue these conversations at home to reduce the impact of unhelpful thinking styles.
We also announced our class leaders for each Homeroom at our most recent year level assembly. I look forward to working with them throughout the year to provide input on activities and events for their Homerooms, as well as the Year level. Congratulations to the following students:
8 Blue: Claudia F and Zara H
8 Gold: Kiran I and Mia S
8 Purple: Angelina R and Ashley T
8 Red: Amani I and Claise S
8 Silver: Cassidy H and Jasmine T
8 White: Ruby J and Georgia M
Finally, I would like to congratulate all Year 8s for completing the first term! There were a lot of events and activities but I hope it was a positive one. I wish you all a happy and safe Easter break and I look forward to seeing the students back for the start of Term Two!
As our first Term draws to a close, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our Year 7 cohort on their resilience and enthusiasm for trying new things. There has been no shortage of wonderful experiences and opportunities to get involved in and the Year 7s have truly embraced life here at the College. I have asked the students to let me know what they have enjoyed most about secondary school so far, I think we can all agree there has been a lot to be thankful for!
My experience at The Summit camp was an experience I had never had before. I thoroughly enjoyed it because it pushed me to my limits and the activities showed me how brave I actually was. I also enjoyed meeting new people. Now that we are back at school I have become friends with them and they are all very kind and funny. Ava M (7 White)
Walking into the school felt like a new era, I felt an immediate connection. I had made many friends during Orientation so I felt like I belonged. Over the past couple of weeks I have gotten to know many of my teachers and peers, something I have enjoyed most is exploring the school and what it’s like to be in high school. I loved learning about what each House meant and how it connected to the Catholic religion. Something that Sion has really helped me with is keeping organised. On the first day of school we were given a planner to help keep track of assignments and studies, I have found that colour coding subjects really helpful. Overall I have found the transition from primary school to high school a bit difficult, but after a couple of days, and once I had made more friends it was smooth sailing. Sophia M (7 Red)
For my year so far at Sion, I have tried out our instruments and for GSV. I am in the GSV indoor cricket and that’s a lot of fun. Some things I have enjoyed are having different teachers for each subject and having our own lockers. Mia R (7 Silver)
I woke up on Friday 1 February feeling anxious and stressed. Little did I know that I was going to be meeting kind teachers that packed my head full to the brim with information. I took a picture with my mum and then said goodbye. I then went to my Homeroom to meet my teachers that would help my class and I to get to know each other. Walking through the cherry red gates at the end of the day filled me with pride to know that from then on I was a Sion girl. Ileana S (7 Purple).
On Saturday 23 March, 21 of our Years 10–12 French language students will begin their exciting cultural and educational study tour to France, accompanied by Mrs Stott, Mr Kerr, Mr Wilkes and Ms Teicher.
The following girls will be attending: Elizabeth B (10 Blue), Madeleine B (10 White), Lia C (11 Gold), Caitlin C (12 White), Maeve G (10 Gold), Emma G (12 Blue), Aurelia H (10 Silver), Madeleine M (11 Red), Ruby M (10 Silver), Alana McI (12 White), Samantha O’D (10 Purple), Natalie S (10 Silver), Eloise T (11 Silver), Chanel T (11 Red), Hannah T (11 Purple), Tiahna T (11 Purple), Elana V (10 Red), Carla V (11 Purple), Elizabeth W (10 Red), Holly Y (10 White) and Fion Z (10 Gold).
The itinerary is jam packed and the students will spend 16 days travelling the country visiting many beautiful cities including Paris, Tours, Mont Saint Michel, Bayeux, Rouen and Giverny. They will also attend French classes, visit our sister school in Evry and will celebrate Easter in Bayeux. The girls are extremely excited and counting down the days until Saturday 23 March.
We wish them a wonderful, enjoyable, and safe trip and we look forward to sharing their stories and experiences with us when they return.
We would like to thank the teachers attending the tour for all the work that they will be doing to ensure that this immersive experience will provide all the students participating with lasting positive impressions and rich learning opportunities.
In the last few weeks, the language department has had two lunchtime club sessions for Chinese and Italian. We would like to thank Ms Wang for all her great work with the Year 10 Chinese class in preparation for the very interesting and creative club session and Mrs Tan for all her assistance. A big thank you to the students involved in the preparation of both the Chinese and Italian club sessions. Some of the students would like to share their experiences with us.
On Wednesday 6 March, our Year 10 Chinese class organised a lunchtime activity to introduce the Qixi Festival which is also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. We started off by playing a video which gave the students a brief overview of the festival and its traditions. Then we prepared a short performance in which we reenacted the scenes from the traditional Qixi festival legend. Layla N (10 Gold) played the lead male character NiuLang and Cilla S (10 Gold) played the lead female character ZhiNu. After the role play we also ran a Kahoot to test the knowledge of the students who attended this event. The top 10 winners won prizes and celebrated amongst friends and classmates. To finish the presentation, three of our class members sang and performed a dance to Teresa Teng’s song ‘Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin’ which translates to ‘The moon represents my heart’. The two Chinese teachers, Ms Wang and Ms Tan also got involved with the singing. It was a really enjoyable experience, and we were glad that we got a chance to teach the younger Chinese students something while having fun and create memories we will cherish throughout our journey at Sion and into our futures. Zara T (10 Blue)
It was great to share our creativity with our friends and other Chinese students and we all had lots of fun! Anria A (10 Purple)
The Italian Club session focused on the celebration of Easter "Pasqua". Our Year 11 Italian class created mini games and a Kahoot to encourage Italian discussion and promote the festivity. The winner of each game won a chocolate surprise! Martina G (11 Red) and I presented a short dialogue performance which elaborated on the event. Overall, we had an amazing time celebrating Pasqua with students from each year level. "Buona Pasqua a tutti!" Estella F (11 Gold)
During Italian Club we watched two short videos about Pasqua in Italy. This included their religious traditions, foods that are eaten and what is done on Easter Monday during “La Pasquetta”. Then we played a Kahoot where the winner won a chocolate egg with a surprise inside, “la sorpresa”. The winner got the surprise, but we all ate the chocolate. It was very interesting as we learned a lot about Pasqua and how it’s celebrated in Italy. Tia M (12 White)
Buona Pasqua!
Joyeuses Pâques!
复活节快乐
Fùhuó jié kuàilè
This year I am privileged to be taking on the role of Religious Education Learning Leader at Our Lady of Sion College.
I have been constantly inspired by the level of commitment students demonstrate for their Religious Education studies at this school. It is a subject area that offers a unique breadth and depth of learning where students are taught to develop critical thinking, analytical, reading and writing skills. However, the Religious Education (RE) classroom offers much more than academic tools alone.
Inspired by the charism of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, Religious Education at the College, offers students a genuine opportunity to engage in dialogue as they explore other faith traditions and come to understand the beauty of different cultures; they are challenged to see the world from an entirely different perspective.
The Charter for Our Lady of Sion Schools reaffirms this same goal:
"To encourage openness to learning…to be open to others, overcoming the fear that can come from encountering differences, to understand them. To affirm and esteem the richness of differences while respecting human persons and their fundamental rights…and to foster discernment in religious and secular spheres”
The historical tradition of Catholic schools embracing students from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds underscores the importance of dialogue within Religious Education. Through meaningful exchanges in our RE classrooms, students learn from one another, forming a vibrant community of dialogue that enriches their educational journey.
It is within Religious Education that we have an opportunity to develop our spiritual growth. And it is within the subject of Religious Education that we can take time to reflect on the wisdom of Scripture and the teachings of Jesus who taught us the importance of justice, love, forgiveness and service. And this, I believe is what lies at the heart of Religious Education in a Catholic School.
One of the highlights of the Maths calendar, Pi Day, occurred last Thursday, 14 March. We had the highest ever participation in the annual pi digit recall competition, where students recite the digits of pi. Brianna G (8 Red) recalled the most digits in the year level with 196, followed by Dahamsa J (8 Blue) with 149 and Tara L (8 Gold) with 144. The overall winning Homeroom, earning themselves a pizza lunch, was 8 Red, narrowly defeating 8 Blue by a mere 6 digits.
Earlier in the day, the classes each participated in a scavenger hunt, looking for all things circular, or pi related.
On Pi day, Year 8 students were encouraged to memorise and recite as many digits of Pi as they could, and those who participated were rewarded with a pie. Throughout the week, a Pi scavenger hunt took place, where students used their iPads to photograph circular or Pi related objects and scenarios. We had so much fun putting our knowledge of Pi to the test, racing around the school, competing with friends and enjoying our pies! Leena H and Clare N 8 Gold
Over the past fortnight, all Year 7 and 9 students completed their NAPLAN online assessments which focused on literacy and numeracy skills students have been learning through their English and Maths curriculum. Students are to be commended on being prepared and attentive throughout this period. While these assessments may create some concerns for students, it is important to remember these results serve to identify strengths and areas of improvement for both students and schools, to enable goal setting for overall growth. Results are anticipated to be released in Term 2 with students’ results being sent home to parents.
It was with great excitement and anticipation that our Year 9 students began their Ayin City Experience in Week 6. The students spent a busy four days from Tuesday 5 - Friday 8 March in the City of Melbourne exploring all that it has to offer. Beginning with a Race Around the City, students quickly became familiar with the layout and transport of the city, navigating their way around to decode cryptic clues in small teams. Their learnings from this day set them up well and prepared them to engage in the structured program of Days 2 and 3. On these days the students were in larger groups and were led around the city to explore its rich history and culture with tours in places like the Shrine of Remembrance, the Koorie Heritage Trust, the Ian Potter Gallery, Old Melbourne Gaol and the Treasury Building. The final day of the program was student planned and led with each small group exploring a chosen topic of inquiry through planned visits, surveys of the public, observational data collecting and more.
The cohort is to be congratulated for their display of organisation, enthusiasm, initiative and communication across the week as they navigated themselves around the CBD and through different activities. Commendations came from members of the public, facilitators on tours and from staff members leading student groups. To conclude the unit of study, we were thrilled to welcome our Year 9 families to the Ayin City Experience Presentation Night on Wednesday evening where students presented the results of their inquiry project. We thank the families for their show of support.
Next week our Ayin focus turns to a new unit of study – The World of Work. The focus of this unit is to prepare our students to enter the workforce through the preparation of a professional portfolio containing a resume, cover letter and work samples. This culminates in student participation in mock job interviews led by parent volunteers on Friday 3 May. These are an opportunity for students to participate in a low-risk practice to help them to build confidence to enter an interview for their first part-time jobs. I take this opportunity to call for Year 9 parent volunteers who can assist in running the interviews and providing constructive feedback to students. If you are willing to help, please send an email to rbennett@sion.catholic.edu.au
We have had a fantastic term 1 in Drama at Sion.
We have welcomed new Year 7s to the world of Drama, both in class and through fun and interactive workshops in the very popular Drama club. This was led and run led by our wonderful Year 12 Drama Captain Clea M (12 Gold) every Thursday B at lunchtime.
We have also had many Year 7s apply to be Drama Representatives for 2024. It’s great to see such enthusiasm and passion for our school and the Sion leadership process.
The Year 8s are busy preparing for their Ancient Greek duologue performances.
Year 10 students went to the theatre to see ‘Wicked’ at the Regent Theatre.
Some students have never seen any large scale productions in the city so it was a wonderful experience for us all. The students will analyse this performance in their Drama exam.
VCE students are working hard on Solo Performances – Year 11 and Ensembles for Year 12s. We are excited for professional performance visits next term and a visit to ‘Top Acts’ to be inspired by the best performers in Year 12 Drama 2023.
We are looking forward to a great Term 2 with senior Drama students presenting ‘The 39 Steps’ followed by the launch of the Junior Play which will be staged in late October.
Oh, the Drama…
Congratulations to all the soloists and small groups that performed last Monday evening at the Term 1 Autumn Soirée. A particular mention of the Year 7 students who performed in a Sion uniform for the very first time. There were many outstanding moments from all the performers, and it was terrific to have support from a very appreciative audience.
Music filled the air as Our Lady of Sion College opened the doors to many visitors at the annual Open Day earlier this week. Our ensembles and soloists performed all day in various venues, the Miriam Theatre, the Chessboard Garden outside under the big oak tree, the Piazza and the Notre Dame foyer. A special thanks must be extended to the Music Staff and Music Representatives who supported the girls throughout the day.
In early May, two ensembles are representing Our Lady of Sion College at the Generations in National Jazz Music competition held in Mt Gambier in South Australia. The music students from CVE and the Senior Jazz Ensemble have been working hard and we look forward to performing at this National event. More information will be released in the coming days.
Year 7 Parents and carers are warmly invited to attend open rehearsals of their daughter’s respective ensemble. The open rehearsal specific dates and times are:
It has been an action-packed fortnight for the Social Justice program at Our Lady of Sion College. We have continued to support Project Compassion in the following ways.
Your generous donations and participation in the various opportunities offered provide the Sion community a chance to engage with Catholic Social Teaching principles, in particular subsidiarity by empowering local communities and supporting organisations such as Caritas Australia to address the needs of those living in poverty and marginalised situations. This principle emphasises that decisions and actions should be taken at the most local level possible, allowing for greater participation and involvement of individuals and communities in addressing social issues. This allows for a more tailored and effective response to the specific needs and challenges faced by communities. It also promotes greater ownership and participation of those directly affected by poverty and injustice, helping to build stronger and more resilient communities.
During Open Day the Social Justice team showcased and promoted the various initiatives and opportunities offered to students throughout the year. Our FIRE Carriers, along with our Social Justice leaders, did an amazing job answering questions from parents and promoting their work. Prospective families were also given the opportunity to purchase tickets for our Easter raffle.
With the success of the Information Session held a few weeks ago, our school conference has grown considerably this year and now has over 50 dedicated members. We held our first meeting for the year this week and reflected on the success of last year and how as a group we hope to increase our awareness of the issues faced by those experiencing disadvantage and how to help those in need with our local community. We have a number of exciting opportunities coming up in Term 2 and we look forward to communicating these to the Sion community.
Well done to our Indoor Cricket, Softball and Tennis teams on a fantastic Term 1 season. Finals are scheduled for next week and will be communicated with teams involved and highlighted in the Term 2 Newsletter.
Our trials for the Term 2 weekly sports (AFL, Hockey and Netball) are underway. Junior and Senior AFL teams trials commenced this week with strong numbers. Our Junior, Intermediate and Senior Hockey will be at Elgar Park on Tuesday and Thursday morning in the first week of Term 2.
Senior and Junior Netball trials for Term 2 GSV Sport have been held in the past fortnight with our Intermediates scheduled for next week. We had a fantastic turnout of Junior students with over 130 Year 7 and 8 students trialing this week with great energy and skill!
Our strong Netball culture continues to grow with some highlights recently. A very big congratulations to the following students for participating and representing Chisholm in State Titles competition which took place in Bendigo over the Labour Day weekend.
15/U
Lara W (9 Blue) (Training Partner)
Alannah V (9 White)
Meg L (9 Silver)
The 15/U finished 6th overall after sitting 3rd for majority of the tournament.
17/U
Ava M (10 Blue)
Olivia M (10 Blue)
A special mention to Ava M (10 Blue) and Olivia M (10 Blue) on winning the State Title which is an amazing result! Both Ava and Olivia have represented the College in GSV throughout their time. Hopefully there is more success to be had on court this year!
Three of our students represented the College at the GSV Golf Tournament at Box Hill Golf Course on Tuesday 19 March.
Adele P (7 Purple) finished 3rd, Tiahna T (11 Purple) 6th and Layla N (10 Gold) 8th in the GA Handicap division. Unfortunately, Elli N (7 Purple) was a late withdrawal with an injury. It was great to see so many keen young golfers showcasing their skills in what turned out to be perfect conditions after being rescheduled due to hot conditions in February!
Congratulations to recent Year 12 graduate Niquita Barry (class of 2023) on her debut in the Australian Water polo League ('AWL') last weekend as a goalkeeper for the Victorian Phoenix. The AWL is the premier competition for water polo in Australia. Throughout her time at Sion, Niquita represented GSV in the water polo premier match against APS each year. We are immensely proud of Niquita's success and wish her all the best with the Phoenix.
If you have a sporting success story we would love to hear from you and share within our community! Please contact sport@sion.catholic.edu.au
detailing your achievement as it is a great way to acknowledge the commitment and dedication to a sport as well as inspiring peers.
It has been a wonderful Term 1 in House and Student Leadership. The students have led a range of initiatives throughout the term with the most recent SRC activity including the Sion Search on International Women’s Day. It was great to see mixed year level teams of students racing around the school to answer clues about the important women that feature throughout the College.
I would also like to congratulate the Year 7 cohort for their completion of the Year 7 Leadership applications. There were over 90 students who applied for various portfolio leadership positions and we look forward to announcing the final team at the beginning of next term.
At the commencement of the Year 7 leadership process I encouraged all students to see their potential as leaders; that leadership is not only done by those who wear a badge, but that we can choose to be leaders every day.
Good luck to all the applicants and well done to all leaders in the College on a fantastic Term 1.
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any". Alice Walker - Novelist
Students and families can find the fortnightly Careers newsletter here.
In this edition there is information relating to:
Last Friday 15 March was World Sleep Day. This is an annual call to action event held by the World Sleep Society celebrating the importance of sleep and highlights issues integral to sleep including medicine, education, social behaviour and driving. This year’s theme is Sleep Equity for Global Health.
There are lots of health and wellbeing benefits to a good night’s sleep and it can be as equally as important as good nutrition, physical activity and learning. During the adolescent years, sleep is important for development and adolescents generally need 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Most teenagers achieve around 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night, but some get even less. This can have a detrimental effect on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing and increase their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Furthermore, this can affect their relationships with others, life at school and their ability to concentrate or complete tasks and assessments.
Forming good habits and seeing these effects, can take up to four weeks for brain associations to develop. With the upcoming term break, it is important to stick to routines or use this as an opportunity to develop some healthy behaviours. Over the break, I would encourage you to discuss sleep and its importance with your children, particularly with a focus on increasing their quota and quality of sleep. Working together to set time limits, boundaries and forming good behaviours will facilitate good habitats, improve overall wellbeing and harness positive family relationships.
Below are a few ways you can support your child to establish good sleep patterns and behaviours. Increasing nightly sleep by 30 minutes over the course of 4-6 weeks, implements routine, establishes good patterns and creates positive long term effects to a young person’s mood, behaviours and overall well being.
Meditation to soothe a racing mind and prepare for sleep
If you would like some more information on supporting your child with sleep or wellbeing, please reach out to one of the Counsellors on 9890 9097 or counselling@sion.catholic.edu.au
Last Friday 15 March was World Sleep Day. This is an annual call to action event held by the World Sleep Society celebrating the importance of sleep and highlights issues integral to sleep including medicine, education, social behaviour and driving. This year’s theme is Sleep Equity for Global Health.
There are lots of health and wellbeing benefits to a good night’s sleep and it can be as equally as important as good nutrition, physical activity and learning. During the adolescent years, sleep is important for development and adolescents generally need 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Most teenagers achieve around 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep per night, but some get even less. This can have a detrimental effect on an individual’s mental health and wellbeing and increase their risk of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Furthermore, this can affect their relationships with others, life at school and their ability to concentrate or complete tasks and assessments.
Forming good habits and seeing these effects, can take up to four weeks for brain associations to develop. With the upcoming term break, it is important to stick to routines or use this as an opportunity to develop some healthy behaviours. Over the break, I would encourage you to discuss sleep and its importance with your children, particularly with a focus on increasing their quota and quality of sleep. Working together to set time limits, boundaries and forming good behaviours will facilitate good habitats, improve overall wellbeing and harness positive family relationships.
Below are a few ways you can support your child to establish good sleep patterns and behaviours. Increasing nightly sleep by 30 minutes over the course of 4-6 weeks, implements routine, establishes good patterns and creates positive long term effects to a young person’s mood, behaviours and overall well being.
Meditation to soothe a racing mind and prepare for sleep
If you would like some more information on supporting your child with sleep or wellbeing, please reach out to one of the Counsellors on 9890 9097 or counselling@sion.catholic.edu.au
