from the principal - fintona girls' school · 2020-06-06 · elc - vce art & design show...

If you can't see this email please click here | Unsubscribe here

Issue No 10 - 28 July 2017

From the PrincipalA radical research project called the ‘Youth in Iceland’ program', has been carried out in Iceland. Beginning in 1992, with regular and detailed questionnaires about the drinking, smoking, drug taking and other habits amongst teenagers. In a bid to understand teen brain chemistry, an American psychology professor, Harvey Milkman, who teaches at Iceland’s Reykjavik University, completed his doctoral thesis looking at the link between drug taking and stress; examining first, what prompted people to start taking drugs and then continue. His research led him to conclude that people were not so much addicted to taking drugs but to the changes to brain chemistry they produced and the ‘rush’ associated with taking drugs, drinking, stealing, etc. Milkman went on to ask:

Why not orchestrate a social movement around natural highs: around people getting high on their own brain chemistry – because it seems obvious to me that people want to change their consciousness – without the deleterious effects of drugs?

Milkman and his team developed a three month program around people getting naturally ‘high’ on their own brain chemistry. The questionnaires used in the program revealed clear differences between teenagers who drank, smoked and took drugs and those who did not. Four factors emerged as strong protective factors against substance abuse:

1. Participation in organised activities,(especially sport) three or four times a week.2. Total time spent with parents during the week.3. Feeling cared for at school.4. Not being outdoors late at night.

In Iceland it was relatively easy to take radical action. With the co-operation of local administrators and government, a night time curfew was enacted for teens aged 13 to 16; sales of tobacco were restricted to teens aged 18 and over and alcohol to those aged 20 and over. Tobacco and alcohol advertising was banned altogether. In addition, government funding was increased for organised sport, music, art, dance and other clubs to give teenagers alternative ways to feel good and feel part of a group. Parents were encouraged to spend regular ‘quality time’ with their children rather than occasional ‘quality time’. They were also encouraged to talk to their teens about their lives, know their friends and keep teens home at night.

The success of the program has been remarkable. In 1998, 42% of Icelandic teenagers reported being drunk in the previous month. By 2016, this had fallen to just 5%. The percentage of teens smoking cigarettes every day decreased from 23% to 3% and cannabis use fell from 17% to 7%. Between 1997 and 2012, the percentage of teens aged 15 and 16 who regularly spent time with their parents on week days doubled from 23% to 46% and the percentage who participated in sport at least four times a week increased from 24% to 42%.

The program has been adopted by countries across Europe, but statistics from America and Great Britain where the program has not been taken up, are very worrying, as are our own. In America for instance, underage drinking accounts for 11% of all alcohol consumed and excessive drinking causes 4,300 deaths a year in the under 21s.

of 15Modern Technology Template

31/07/17https://www.vision6.com.au/em/message/email/view.php?id=914043&u=39799&k=rQ3...

So, how can we adopt some of the successful principles of the Icelandic program here without involving government or civic organisations? Schools and families can fulfil most of the roles that form the protective elements. Fintona provides endless varieties and levels of sport and PE activities to say nothing of local sporting organisations. However, students need to be encouraged to participate in the younger years so that it becomes a habit rather than trying to prod a sometimes reluctant, or even hostile, 16 or 17 year old. Parents can encourage activities with their children, again from a younger age, so it is a habit carried through to when they are older. Of course, older teenagers will want to go out, but the Icelandic program suggests that that should be a limited opportunity and within certain boundaries.

At school, the Staff are very focused on academic and pastoral care. Our problems arise when students don’t abide by the rules, whether they are within the classroom and don't hand in homework or attend study sessions, or in the playground, in terms of wearing make-up or jewellery or not wearing our uniform correctly. An adherence to rules and expectations may be labelled as ‘sweating the small stuff’, however, it is all part of believing yourself to be part of a community, that those rules allow everyone to live together, uphold the reputation of the School and recognise that education is a long term and sometimes difficult goal. We are also encouraging students to see the rules here as a reflection of the rules that govern behaviour in the broader community, that if broken can lead to very serious consequences for everyone.

I think we all worry about the kind of world our students are participating in and the more we can do to help them form protective behaviours, retain a sense of optimism and stay true to their core values, the more those concerns will be allayed.

Mrs Suzy ChandlerPrincipal

Upcoming Events 2017

WEDNESDAY 2 AUGUSTYears 5-9 Parent/Teacher Interviews4.00pm-9.00pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

TUESDAY 8 AUGUSTAnnual Music Concert7.00pm-9.30pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

FRIDAY 11 AUGUSTDads' Beef & Burgundy Night6.30pmReid Studio

SUNDAY 13 AUGUSTRevegetation Project10.00am-12.00pmManson's Reserve, Wantirna

TUESDAY 15 AUGUSTFintona Good Fight Club7.00pmReid Studio

THURSDAY 17 AUGUSTYears 10-12 Parent/Teacher Interviews4.00pm-9.00pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

TUESDAY 22 AUGUSTELC - VCE Art & Design Show Opening3.30pm-5.30pmCorbett Lyon Gallery, Art Precinct

FRIDAY 25 AUGUSTTrivia Night7.00pm-9.00pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

Save the Date 2017

TUESDAY 10 OCTOBERValedictory Evening7.30pm-9.30pmRobert Blackwood Hall, Monash University

SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBERFintona Food & Wine Festival11.00am-4.00pm

Term Dates 2017

Term 3 (9 weeks)18 July to 15 September

Term 4 (10 weeks)9 October to 13 December

Term Dates 2018

Term 1 (9 weeks)30 January to Thursday 29 March

Term 2 (11 weeks)17 April to 29 June

Term 3 (9 weeks)17 July to 14 September

Term 4 (10 weeks)8 October to 12 December



MONDAY 28 AUGUSTYear 7 2018 Information Evening7.00pm-8.30pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

TUESDAY 29 AUGUSTPiano & Harp Soiree7.00pm-8.30pmReid Studio

FRIDAY 1 & SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBERSchool Play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory7.00pm-9.00pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBERPour Tout le Monde Soiree7.00pm-8.30pmReid Studio

Senior SchoolAn Important TermI extend a warm welcome to everyone for the start of Term 3. I hope that all of the Senior School tutors, teachers, students and families had a restful break, spending some time doing activities that they enjoy, so that they feel ready for the term ahead. Term Three is a very important one, particularly for the VCE students, as they will be finalising their school assessments and completing course work in anticipation of practice exams in the term three break.

Year 11 LeadershipIt is pleasing to note the number of students in the current Year 11 class who have completed the leadership program during their time in the Senior School, and are considering applying for the many and varied positions available in 2018. We are currently focusing upon the roles of School Consul and Deputy Consul Senior School, Middle School and Junior School.

The students have had access to the job descriptions for these roles. Applications for these positions are due on Monday 31 July. Interviews with a panel including the Principal, Heads of Senior, Middle and Junior School will follow; and then the students will present a speech at an assembly prior to voting. Students are encouraged to apply for a position that best suits their abilities, interests and temperament, as holding a position of responsibility is both rewarding and positive for personal development.

Information EveningsThursday 20 July VCE Information Evening - The VCE information evening for Year 10 students and parents was well attended last week. This evening enables parents to hear from the Head of School, the VCE Co-ordinator, Ms Lindy Grahn and the Careers Co-ordinator, Ms Suzie Hannebery. Students in Year 11 and 10 are currently completing their subject selections for 2018. The Year 11 students are all completing interviews with Mrs Katrina Brennan and Ms Grahn to check their progress, subject selections and strategies for improvement. Following these interviews, Ms Grahn and Mrs Brennan will check each Year 10 subject selection and ensure that they are appropriate for each student.

Thursday 27 July Year 9 and 10 2018 Information Evening - This evening is designed to outline for current Year 8 and 9 students and parents the pathways available to them in Year 9 and 10. An important evening, it enables parents to meet the key people responsible for their child at this time, and to ask questions they may have related to any issues regarding curriculum and subject choice.

Ms Katrina BrennanVice Principal/Head of Senior School



Revegetation Projects - Be Involved

Fintona is delighted to inform you of the Bring Back the Blue Bums and Teddy Bears campaign which will be undertaken by Fintona over the next few months. This consists of a series of revegetation projects that will be held at JW Mansons’ Reserve, school and in your gardens if you wish. The projects will assist in habitat regeneration for Amegilla, a group of non-aggressive Australian solitary bees which are rapidly being squeezed out of urban areas.

These native bees are important pollinators of many Australian and introduced species as well as agricultural crops utilising buzz pollination (the type required to pollinate tomatoes and many other species). It would be great to see as many people as possible at the tree-planting which will be held on:Sunday 13 August, 10.00am-12.00pm, Manson's Reserve, Wantirna.

Directions: (Melway Map 63, J3). The nearest cross street is Sekirk Ave. Park at the Manson's Reserve pavilion car park, then cross over the ovals to the treeline near the creek where the FFDC group will be setup.

Notes about the day for Volunteers: Bring gloves and sturdy footwear. 600 food-plants for the Blue-banded and Teddy Bear bees will be planted, in association with the First Friends of the Dandenong Creek.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Pictured: Amegilla or the Blue-banded (Blue Bum) Bee

Ayla EdwardsEnvironment Captain

Physics Breakfast

On Friday 21July, the Year 11 Physics students attended a special “Girls in Physics” breakfast at Hawthorn Arts Centre. Physics students from a range of schools attended, and were seated at each table with at least two other young women who were in the early stages of their science and engineering careers or still studying at University. These women provided first-hand information about their experiences in the scientific community and allowed the students to ask many questions about what it was like to study and work in the field.

The guest speaker at the breakfast was Dr Katie Mack from the University of Melbourne, a renowned astrophysicist, feminist, and science communicator. Katie is the 2017 Women in Physics Lecturer for the Australian Institute of Physics and her presentation was titled ‘Everything you wanted to know about Dark Matter but were afraid to ask.’

The students gained a greater understanding of dark matter, the substance we now know makes up 68% of the known universe (the matter we can see every day only makes up a trivial five percent!). Due to it being invisible, however, dark matter is extremely hard to examine. Dr Mack described some of the processes used to study dark matter such as gravitational lensing, which allows the invisible dark matter to be detected by physicists on earth. Students and teachers alike were amused to find that the current theory behind the elusive dark matter is that it is made up of WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) whilst another theory is that dark matter consists of MACHOs (Massive Compact Halo Objects).

There is still much to be discovered about the universe we inhabit and this breakfast showed that there are rewarding and challenging futures that can open up to women in Physics.

Pictured: Nana Shintani, Freya Solnordal, Alice Song, Lily Zhou, Sally Zhang with Dr Katie Mack

Dr Ruth BarclayPhysics Teacher

Dads' Beef & Burgundy Night

The Fintona Parents' Association would like to invite all our dads to join Anton, Nick & Peter at the 5th Annual Fintona Beef & Burgundy Night. It will be held on Friday 11 August, 2017, from 6:30pm in the Reid Studio.



Tickets are available for purchase through Trybooking. Please click on the following link to take you directly to the booking site www.trybooking.com/300664. Special dietary needs can be catered for, please provide details of these when booking.

Mrs Anne-Maree McKernanPresident FPA

Trivia Night - Friday 25 August

You are warmly invited to the School's Trivia Night. The whole family are welcome, so bring them along for a night of fun and friendly competition. A professional quizmaster will host the evening. Tickets include a glass of champagne and pizza. The Trivia Night will be held on Friday 25 August at 7.00pm in the Margaret Cunningham Hall. Read More

Tickets are $35.00 (Adult) and $15.00 (Student); tables of 8, and bookings are now open: www.trybooking.com/294438

Enquiries: Alex Clark 0407 110 905.

Ms Alex ClarkRowing Co-ordinator

School Play Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Tickets are now on sale via: https://www.trybooking.com/RDQJ for this year’s School Play, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Adapted for the stage by Richard George, Roald Dahl’s classic novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a delicious tale of adventure and trust. When an announcement is made that Willy Wonka, the owner of the largest chocolate factory in the world, has hidden five golden tickets inside his chocolate bars it sends everyone into a chocolate buying frenzy.

The lucky winners who find the tickets will be invited to his factory for the day and receive enough chocolate to last a lifetime. Inside the factory, Charlie and the other four winners experience many exciting and

unbelievable things. However, one by one the children are dismissed because of their behaviours or actions. Willy Wonka has many tricks up his sleeve and a special surprise for the child that remains at the end of the day. We hope that you will bring your family and friends along to support the students and the show.

Friday 1 September & Saturday 2 September7.00pmMargaret Cunningham Hall

Adult tickets $15.00 and Student/Children tickets $12.00

Mr Jason ForrestDirector/Drama Teacher



Georgia's Design is Chosenfor the Food and Wine Festival Advertising

Working as authentic designers ,Year 11 Visual Communication Design students have developed the design collateral to promote the 2017 Fintona Food and Wine Festival. Designing to address a brief, they creatively interpreted client requirements and developed design concepts. Students examined how visual language could be used to convey ideas and depict the atmosphere of the festival.

Drawing, colour palettes, photography and digital applications were explored within the design process to realise professional design solutions. Students pitched their design concepts to their ‘client’ with the final concept selection made by Mrs Suzy Chandler who chose Georgia Lord’s design for its sophistication and professional interpretation of the design brief (see banner version of the design at the top of the News Bulletin.) The process of designing to meet the needs of a client creatively will form valuable experience for design students wishing to transition to a career within the design industry.

Pictured: Ms Clare Sanders with Georgia Lord

Ms Clare SandersArt Teacher

CAREERS NEWS

Several students attended the inaugural Girled World Leadership Summit at Melbourne University. Here are a couple of their responses from the experiences.

Very few times have I been as inspired as I was at the Girled World Leadership Summit at held at Melbourne University last month. From lessons by entrepreneurs to workshops and inspirational speakers, Saturday's session was full of young people who grew seeds of ideas into successful businesses, and their stories and their motivations for desiring to take on the task of such great projects. I especially enjoyed the talk from Georgia Beattie - a young woman who had an idea of wine sealed in a cup, and created a product that is now available in large international market, a business worth millions after running for a mere four years. Now running a Start-Up business to assist young people on their own entrepreneurial journeys, Georgia is a huge inspiration for me. Another stand out speaker was Jeanette Cheah, who spoke about

Hacker Exchange, and her experience with the famous Silicon Valley in San Francisco.

The workshops we participated in were also a highlight, where we developed our creative skills, made lifelong friends and learnt the nuts and bolts of how to build a business. All in all, this entrepreneurial summit really taught me new skills and ideas I will cherish, and reminded me about the strength of women in a changing world. Aahana Dudani (Year 10)

As you walk into the Girls World Summit you are instantly blown away with the sheer energy and excitement in the room. The enthusiasm and passion exerted by the highly successful and motivational speakers is absorbed into every one of the attendees. Sunday's session was motivational, where numerous women (many of whom are working in major companies such as Airbnb and Telstra or have launched their very own start up) talked about the experience they went through and what drove them to become so successful.

Izzi Dymalovski , the 15 year old CEO and founder of LovUrSkin - an all-natural Australian skin care range had to be my favourite speaker, although Lucy Lu cofounder of Airwallex and Aimee Marks cofounder of TOM Organic (an Insta-famous brand well known for their Frank Body Scrub) come in as close second place, Izzi , despite her young age, already has her product on over 500 Priceline stores nationwide. She explained the importance of the product, brand awareness and feedback in the success of a product. By the end of all the presentations, everyone at the event left with a strong desire to start planning for the launch of their very own company. Sophie Shi (Year 10)

Ms Suzie HanneberyCareers Co-ordinator

String Soiree

Our annual String Soiree showcased many of our talented string students to a large audience of family and



friends. The Soiree involved many solo performances including Junior School students, who performed for the very first time, to our many soloists from Middle and Senior School .

Apart from our soloists, the following ensembles took part: Buick Strings, Tourmont Strings, Cherry Road and Cunningham String Quartet. They presented a variety of works ranging from the classics to modern repertoire. The evening was enjoyed by all. Our students are to be congratulated on a magnificent performance at our String Soiree.

Pictured: The event was well attended

Ms Elizabeth ExintarisPerforming Arts Co-ordinator (Music)

Fintona Good Fight ClubThe Fintona Good Fight Club is a parent initiative, aimed at inspiring our girls to be a positive and powerful influence in the world. Parents and students are invited to this inaugural event, to learn more about how the School can become involved and assist with the issues and problems we face globally.

We are pleased to announce that Michael Brosowski AM, Founder and CEO of Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, will be the guest speaker. Michael is a well respected and gifted presenter and has spoken at many schools and events. Sydney born, during his last trip to Melbourne he gave an amazing interview with Raf Epstein on ABC 774. Michael will be accompanied by two current employees of Blue Dragon, Hanoi, Vietnam, Vi Do, a Social Worker who was once a street kid and Thuy Nguyen, a Program Manager working with ethnic minority communities at risk of human trafficking. https://www.bluedragon.org/

Please join us at this exciting first event, to be held on:

Tuesday 15 August7.00 pmReid Studio, Music Building(Dirinks & nibbles will be served prior to the presentation at 7.30pm)

Cost: $15.00 adults $5.00 students (inclusive of drinks and nibbles). To book: https://www.trybooking.com/RGAI

The evening will be appropriate for students from Year 5 upwards (although parents from all year levels are welcome), but the speakers will touch on issues such as child trafficking and homelessness. The Fintona Good Fight Club aims to bring speakers of substance and interest to Fintona families approximately three times per year. Please contact Sarah Black on 0419 444 095 or email [email protected] if you have any enquiries.

Ms Sarah BlackParent Organiser

Maths Faculty has a visit from Dr Paul Swan

The Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) has set up a program, Maths Active Schools (MAS) to acknowledge the work of maths teachers in inspiring the learning of mathematics in schools. Satisfying strict selection criteria, Fintona is pleased to be part of a small group of elite schools across Victoria who regularly share information and attend special events organised by MAV designed to promote and support the outstanding work of these teachers.

On Tuesday 25 July, Fintona played host to one such special event. Teachers from other MAS schools, together with selected Fintona teachers, enjoyed an afternoon of exploring interactive activities with Dr Paul Swan. Paul Swan is a leading educationist whose passion is in developing and sharing materials and resources for problem solving. He questioned whether a major barrier to student’s success is due to language and in doing so had us explore the issue of language in the maths classroom through selected

activities. He maintains that the use of concrete materials is important in establishing solution processes and had the participants “act out” the problems



posed. For example Ms Trish Leigh (aka Sigourney Weaver) and Ms Meredith Harris (aka Bruce Willis) quickly realised through physical interpretation that it was possible to complete the river crossing with two in a boat in 21 minutes, even though Ms Cathy Devlyn (Linda Evans) was a bit reluctant to get into character!

An enjoyable and purposeful afternoon was had by all and teachers left, armed with a new bunch of exciting materials to try with their classes.

Pictured: Ms Kathleen Williams, Ms Vanessa Stockley, Ms Trish Leigh and Ms Meredith Harris share the problem solving

Ms Cathy DevlynMathematics Co-ordinator

SPORT NEWS

Sport is off and running for Term 3! On Thursday 20 July, two teams of eager students represented Fintona at the GSV 5-a-side Soccer tournament. The matches were contested on small outdoor synthetic courts and required the girls to draw on their speed, agility and quick decision making during match play. Congratulations to the members of each team for their spirited efforts.

A special congratulations to Zoe Johnson who last week competed at the SSV State Cross Country Championships. Zoe qualified at the district, division and regional levels for the chance to compete against the top runners in Victoria. She ran a personal best time at the State level and we applaud her for this fantastic achievement. I welcome all students to join a Sport team this term and immerse themselves in the many opportunities our programs offer.

Pictured: Nivedha Seevanayagam (Year 10)

Mr Simon BourkeSport Co-ordinator

FROM THE BUSINESS OFFICEFee accounts for Term 4, 2017

Fee accounts were mailed or emailed by 21 July, 2017 and are due for payment by Monday 14 August, 2017. Due dates for the remainder of 2017:

Term 4 2017 – Due 14 August 2017Term 1 2018 – Due 31 October 2017

Terms and Conditions relating to the payment of fees may be viewed on the School’s website and I request that you make particular reference to the application of administration fees. Please be aware that a surcharge applies to payments made by credit card. 1% surcharge to any credit card payment made via Mastercard, VISA and American Express. This surcharge will be added by the Business Office when the credit card payment is processed. If you have not received an account, please contact the Accountant, Ms Rowena Vitarelli at [email protected] to request a copy.

Ms Rowena VitarelliAccountant

We need your Old Wares

As you are by now aware, the Fintona Food and Wine Festival will be held on Sunday 26 November 2017 and we would like the Vintage Bazaar (formerly White Elephant) to be bigger and better than ever. If you are cleaning out cupboards or downsizing we would appreciate your donations of clothes, shoes and accessories (in excellent condition), furniture, crockery, home furnishings, bric-a-brac or books.



Goods can be dropped at Reception between school hours from now until November. Thank you in advance for your support of this popular stall.

Mrs Suzy ChandlerPrincipal

FROM THE SCHOOL COUNSELLOR

There are so many competing factors that influence how we interact with children and adolescents. Judith Locke is a clinical psychologist, researcher and parenting expert who has some very interesting insights and has written the book ‘The Bonsai Child’. She discusses self-esteem as a concept that has had a great deal of recent attention as naturally we all want to feel good but of course this isn’t actually possible all the time. If we focus on feeling good as the main goal to be met in the short-term, it follows that bowing out or avoiding a difficulty that might risk one to not feel good can occur. However, this fails to build any long-term satisfaction and develop skills and instead has the potential to make children more vulnerable as they don’t get the chance to strengthen their capacity to cope.

Interestingly, research has found that high self-esteem has not been linked with success. So much emphasis within parenting information or advice has been placed on ensuring children have high self-

esteem but what research has consistently shown that has more of an impact is children having resilience. Judith suggests that “if we don’t allow our children to experience struggles, we don’t equip them to deal with difficulty”.

Judith recommends taking a ‘step back’ at different developmental stages so our students have an opportunity to ‘step up’ themselves. Giving age appropriate assistance is so beneficial, for example about being organised or about homework. This may involve fewer reminders about homework as they move up into senior school because students will experience natural consequences if it doesn’t occur and this is where behavioural changes and learning what they need to do themselves, has the potential to occur as well.

Thinking that ‘children aren’t made of china’, captures the importance of acknowledging their capacity for grit and their strengths. Helping our students to know and use their strengths, helps them to cope in various situations. Experiencing a difficult emotion or response to a challenge doesn’t mean it’s not worth going ahead with it. It’s about seeing what can help to face the challenge and this is where so many gains come from trying something that might be ‘out of their comfort zone’ as it can show students that they have the strengths or resources to cope.

Mrs Fiona StekhovenSchool Counsellor

Art Stars

We are so small between the stars ...



... so large against the sky

Fintona Fashion Runway a SuccessTo celebrate their achievements within the Fashion and Textiles elective program, Year 9 and 10 students enjoyed parading their creations on the catwalk during the annual Fintona Fashion Runway held in the Corbett Lyon Gallery on the evening of 28 June.

Pictured: Sophie Ganeson modelling a shirt by Lauren Prentice ,Hannah Jacobs modelling a shirt by Emmanuelle Zapris, Elena Liang wearing her own creation, Erin

Kontaxis modelling a dress by Chee-Rae Loi

Ms Clare SandersArt Teacher

An Invitation to the Opening

The Fintona community is warmly invited to the Opening of the ELC - VCE Art & Design Show 2017. Please come along and support our talented artists and the Art Faculty. We would love to see you there:

Tuesday 22 August3.30pm-5.30pmCorbett Lyon Gallery, Art Precinct

Viewing times are Wednesday 23 August to Friday 25 August from 3.45pm-5.00pm.

Pictured: Art work by Grace Stevenson (Year 10)

Mr Brit BivianoArt Co-ordinator

Middle SchoolWelcome back to all families for the start of Term 3. It was certainly pleasing to see the many refreshed and eager faces amongst the students and staff. As usual this term will see the girls busy in a variety of interesting pursuits.

It never ceases to amaze me how talented our girls are; whether it be Music, Art, Public Speaking, Sport, Debating, or the many other activities the girls enjoy, it is particularly pleasing to see them so eager to give their best effort. Some girls are very busy practising for the highly anticipated School Play, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and they are finishing work to be included in the annual Art Show which will be held later in the term. Public Speaking is a focus in the Year 6 to 8 English classes as the girls prepare for the Elizabeth M Butt Public Speaking event and the Junior DAV debating



for Years 7 and 8 and the House debating competition are other events eagerly awaited by the girls.

This term, the Year 8 girls have embarked on their endeavours to raise money to benefit young people in Ghana through the Youth Apprenticeship Program. This initiative, organised by Projec10, in conjunction with students from Camberwell Grammar, PLC and Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School, encourages the girls to think creatively of ways they can make $10 grow. The profits made from their ventures are donated to Opportunity International. This is an exciting opportunity for the students to not only make a difference in other people’s lives by helping to fight global poverty, but also to learn some valuable microfinance skills.

A reminder that Year 5 to Year 9 Parent /Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 2 August. Please keep this date free in your diary.

Congratulations to our SRC representatives for this semester and Tutor representatives for this term.

SRC Reps for Semester 2:

5CAUC – Charlize Chow and Chanel Chen5MIST – Ruby Potter and Katerina Marcus6DREL – Alison Pelusi and Zarah Kahlon6HARR – Paige Thompson and Rachel Crawford7MENA – Gloria Ma and Shivaani Sivarajan7STRA - Livia Tropea and Helena Thijs7KEMA – Amelie How and Zoe Stefanatos8BEHO – Zara Burk and Emma Folscher8SANC – Bridget Bolton8BOUS – Lauren Smith

Tutor Representatives for Term 3:

5CAUC – Celeste Leong and Cadence Chun5MIST – Hera Thavarasah and Matisse Miles6DREL – Alessia Bennardo and Eunyce He6HARR – Elaina Karametos and Arina Foroodi7MENA – Dayara Jayatissa and Ruthie Wu7STRA – Ashleigh O’Donnell and Hannah Ogawa7KEMA – Lily Du and Samanthy Sudheshan8BEHO – Mon Plant and Raiika Bolandian8SANC – Elaine Zhang and Jasmine Ye8BOUS – Emily Kha and Yasmin Fadavi Firooz

Ms Trish LeighHead of Middle School

Junior SchoolAssemblies - Senior School MusicThe Junior School was filled with melodic music as the girls listened to the tuneful items of the Senior School students. The girls in Junior School joined in rapturous applause as they expressed their gratitude at being entertained by the skilful playing of the girls from Senior School. We would like to thank Ms Elizabeth Exintaris for organising the girls to play at our Assembly.

Class CaptainsEach term the girls in Years 3 and 4 vote for a Class Captain. The Class Captains for Term 3 are:

Year 3: Isla KyoongYear 4: Sienna Tang

Congratulations to these girls. We look forward to their leadership.

Junior School Talent ShowOn Wednesday, the girls in Junior School took part in the ‘Junior School Talent Show’. Girls performed a musical piece on their chosen instrument or sang a song they selected to share. The event was fun and the girls delighted in sharing their talents. We would like to thank Tong Tong (Year 3) for initiating this event and Ms Monique Plummer for her co-ordination.



Student Led ConferencesAs part of our reporting process to parents, we will be conducting Student Led Conferences from Prep to Year 3 on Wednesday 16 August from 3.30pm to 6:00pm. A letter has be sent home regarding your times etc. The girls are very excited about sharing their learning with you.

Ms Eleni GoulasHead of Junior School

Year 2 Scienceworks Excursion

Year 2 went to Scienceworks and the Planetarium for an excursion. We had three parents that could come on the excursion. The parents’ names were Nick, Helen and Sandy. At the Planetarium, we saw ‘Tycho goes to the moon’ and ‘What’s in the sky tonight?’ We saw the stars and constellations. We saw the Australian aboriginal emu in the Milky Way. We saw the Southern Cross and the Greek zodiac signs. We went to a place where we could invent our own new extraordinary car for the future. There was a label that said “Eco-Friendly”. That means it was good for the environment. My car was nearly Eco Friendly.

We went to Nitty Gritty Super City; it is an exhibition. It also had an area where there are rubber bricks that you can use to finish building the wall. There are wheelbarrows to gather the bricks together. There are two ways to get the bricks up the stairs. The first way is when somebody turns a wheel then the bricks go up a ramp. The second way is you can lower the bucket on a rope then pull the bricks up. Another exhibition is

called Sportsworks. I got to race with Yahara against Kathy Freeman. That was fun.

Pictured: Year 2 and parent helpers

Year 2 & Lavenyah Santharajah

Preps 100 Days of School

On Tuesday 25 July, the Preps celebrated their 100th day of school in style. The girls took a trip down memory lane watching a slide show of all the wonderful experiences that they have already had in their short time at school.

Mrs Suzy Chandler came to share in the celebrations and presented the girls with their certificates. After the formalities, the Preps spent the rest of the day doing many activities based about the number 100, including guessing what items of 100 were hidden in the box.

Each girl wrote three clues and some of them were very tricky. Much fun was had by all and the girls all agreed that the day finished far too quickly.

Pictured: The Preps at the celebration

Mrs Brittany CreekPrep Teacher

Year 1 PostiesIn the Year 1 classroom, our new Unit of Inquiry started last week and relates to the transdisciplinary theme of ‘How we organise ourselves’. Our central idea is ‘Communities are supported by the services of different organisations’. We will be exploring this unit through the concepts of Responsibility and Connection.



We have already looked at our current understandings of Responsibility. We have created a display in our classroom of what it means to be responsible and we will be adding to it as our inquiry progresses.

Last Friday, we walked down to Whitehorse Road to look at the different kinds of organisations that serve our local community such as food and clothing shops, learning institutions, public transport, restaurants and others. We have also interviewed members of our families to see what kinds of community services they use.

This week, we have commenced the Fintona Post Office in the Junior School. The Year 1 girls will be responsible for providing this service to the school community. In class, we will be learning about letter writing, addressing envelopes and sorting and delivering mail. We are very excited to be the Fintona Posties!

Mrs Kym DanceyYear 1 Teacher

Years 3 & 4 - Camp Gundiwindi

As we got off the bus at Camp Gundiwindi Lodge, we knew the rain wasn’t going to dampen our spirits! We were greeted by a whole farm with lots of animals and adventurous activities. We were all so excited! We all ran into the Rec. room where we met Tracey, Danny and two of the dogs named Jezza and Lucy. Danny took us on an orientation walk around the camp. The rain wouldn’t stop us!

Next, we got stuck into extreme activities. We did archery where we had to concentrate hard and aim straight! We had a fashion parade, where we showed the PYP attitudes of creativity and lots more. We toasted damper by the fire, which was delicious!

We woke up early the next morning to do even more fun activities. We enjoyed observing different parts of the camp in the scavenger hunt. We had lots of fun on the giant swing, but it was also scary. Next, we

showed the PYP Learner Profile attributes of an effective communicator and thinker whilst doing the initiatives activities. We had to show the attitude of co-operation in order to get the tasks done! We also had a visit from Black Snake Productions. The man brought in lots of endangered animals, which linked in nicely with our new Unit of Inquiry. Later that night, we got a visit from a bush dance instructor named Paul who showed us many instruments, like the lagerphone. He also taught us how to bush dance.

On the last day of camp, when the sun finally decided to shine, we went on the fast but also fun, flying fox. We also did a nature trail. There were so many different plants and animals to see! We sadly packed our things, as it was time to go. We boarded the bus and took our last look at Camp Gundiwindi Lodge. We had the time of our lives!

Pictured: Years 3 and 4 girls enjoying the Camp

Helen Kyriakos & Alexia Stefanou (Year 3)

All Things French

Alliance Française Poetry Competition

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Alliance Française Poetry Competition last term. We wish the following girls success and fun in Round 2 on 6 August.

Year 3 – Claire Lau, Elise Pitts and Julia StefanatosYear 4 – Sophie Ang and Marcella Kedzierski

Francophone Day & Crèpe Man Visit

The students have been working hard learning their song for the Francophone day assembly and learning how to order a crèpe with their favourite toppings (lemon and sugar, chocolate, jam or sugar).

Madame Aurassi PougaultFrench Teacher



Early Learning CentreWelcome to Term 3Term 3 has begun and the children have arrived back at school happy and excited re-join their friends. The ELC teachers and children are looking forward to the many varied experiences that await us as the term unfolds. Classes have incursions to look forward to, as well as Book Week Dress-up Days and Father’s Day celebrations, so it is shaping up to be a busy term for all. We look forward to working in partnership with you again this term and are confident it will be both enjoyable and successful.

Parent /Teacher InterviewsParent/Teacher interviews for all ELC children will take place during week 4 of this term. Your child’s teacher has provided you with information about this process and rosters have been placed near the sign-in book to enable you to select an interview time. This interview is an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress this year, and to enables you to plan further for 2018. If you have any specific issues or topics you would like to discuss in the interview please write them down and hand them to the classroom teacher in advance so that your questions can be fully considered prior to the interview.

Each Parent/Teacher interviews last for 15 minutes. Please be mindful of others and arrive on time, because it is very easy for the interviews to run late. If possible, please do not bring your children to the interview. If this is not possible, perhaps you can organise your interview time close to that of another family and share the supervision of the children. You are welcome to use the ELC Piazza for quiet activities while you are in the interview if the children are supervised by another adult.

Ms Cara MearnsHead of Early Learning Centre

The K3s Express Themselves Through DramaThe Current ELC PYP Unit of Inquiry is How we express ourselves, and the central idea for the unit is “We express ourselves through stories”. As this inquiry has progressed the children have been involved in many experiences allowing them to grow their enduring understanding of this central idea, such as home corner play, dress-ups, puppets and picture books.

To further explore this unit, last week the K32 Jacaranda Joeys and the K3 Ginkgo Rosellas participated in an interactive incursion about Dinosaurs with Drama Toolbox. This incursion used movement, music, costume and drama to encourage the children to create, explore and develop ideas and stories using their body. In this dinosaur themed incursion, the children became Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyls and Brachiosaurus, dressing up in costume and experiencing the way that the dinosaurs moved and lived.

The children had a wonderful time expressing themselves through this creative medium and continue to enjoy re-telling the stories in the classroom with their friends.

Pictured: The K3 children enjoy participating in their Drama incursion

Mrs Katie Bowen & Mrs Kristene DevineK3 Teachers

Community Notices

Camberwell Dragons ClubJunior Development Squad

Basketball is a great sport, keeping children fit and teaching them the benefits of team work. The Camberwell Dragons are a family friendly club with experienced coaches. If your daughter is interested in learning and/or improving her basketball skills and techniques Read More



Junior Chess ClubIf your daughter is interested in chess, Northern Star Junior Chess Club operates on Sunday at Doncaster Secondary College. For further details Read More

TuckshopMiddle & Senior SchoolShannon Smith and his staff provide great coffee, hot chocolate and interesting, affordable and healthy meal choices, made fresh daily. Please come to the Tuckshop and introduce yourself, have a coffee and try some of the delicious food on offer. To find out what is on the menu and how to order Read More

ELC & Junior SchoolOrder lunches online https://fintona.mycanteen.co Please Note: Orders must be placed by 8.30am on the day the lunch is required. Contact Mrs Sue Peat in the Junior School Office if you have any enquiries, phone 9880 4444.

Other Areas

Buy and sell second-hand uniform items. The Uniform Shop has new operating hours in Semester 2. Read More

Fintona Parents' Association, Friends of Music and Friends of Rowing. Read More

See what is happening in the weeks ahead. Please Note: Parents can access the School Calendar via inFintona Read More

Permanent and casual places available in Out of Hours School Care. Read More

Middle & Senior School lunches and snacks Read MoreELC & Junior School lunches, order online https://fintona.mycanteen.co

Check notices sent home and when to return them to School. Read More



from the principal - fintona girls' school · 2020-06-06 · elc - vce art & design show...

Documents