Melba Voice - Melba College

Melba Voice
24 May 2013
Principal
Mr. Terry Bennett
Assistant Principals
Ms. Carol Ashton
Mr. John Baston
Mr. David Lees
Junior Campus
Croydon Rd, Croydon Vic 3136
Ph:
9725 8277
Fax:
9723 6375
www.melba.vic.edu.au
melba.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
Senior Campus
Brentnall Rd, Croydon Vic 3136
Ph:
9870 4551
Fax:
9870 1784
www.melba.vic.edu.au
melba.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
School Term Dates 2013
Term 2: 16 April to 28 June
Term 3: 15 July to 20 Sept
Term 4: 7 Oct to 20 Dec
Diary Dates 2013
College Dates
May 27
May 27
June 7
June 10
June 14
June 24
June 26
June 28
Early dismissal 1.30pm
Band Concert
District Cross Country
Queens Birthday Holiday
Report Writing Day
Early dismissal
FONO
End of term, 2.30pm, dismissal
Junior Campus
June 5
June 10
June 13
Year 7 and 9 Immunisations
Queens Birthday Holiday
Years 8, 9 English and Maths
exams
Senior Campus
June 5
June 10
June 11-13
June 12
June 17-21
June 24-28
Year 10 Immunisations
Queens Birthday Holiday
Years 10-11 Mid-Year Exams
VCE GAT
Year 10 Challenge Week
Year 10 Work Experience
Principal’s Report
School Athletics Carnival
Our school Athletics carnival was held yesterday at Proclamation Park in Ringwood. It was a
great day and we were very fortunate with the weather. We had such a fantastic turn up of
students for our first athletics carnival as Melba College and the effort students put into dressing
up in house colours, participating and supporting each other was absolutely wonderful. We
should all be so very proud of our students and I for one will always remember our first carnival
as Melba College – it was very special. There were some outstanding performances which we
will report on in the next newsletter.
Thank you to all the
students and staff who
made it such a great day
and to the parents who
came along and supported
their children. I would in
particular like to thank
Richard Allan and Paul
Durrant who organised the
day.
Congratulations again to all
the students who participated and we wish all those going on to district level competition all the
very best.
Our focus on Teaching and Learning
Our priorities at Melba College are the wellbeing of every student and their learning. The staff at
the school is focussed on improving the outcomes for every student. Staff will use terms such as
Learning Intentions and Success Criteria when working with students.
Learning Intentions describe the knowledge, skill, understanding(s) and/or attitudes/values that
are needed to develop an aspect of the curriculum. Learning intentions are expressed in
language that students understand and support them in understanding what they are supposed
to be doing and why.
Success Criteria identify for students how they will go about achieving a Learning Intention or
how they will know when they have learnt it. The purpose of creating Success Criteria is to
ensure students understand the teacher's criteria for making judgments about their work, and so
that they gain feedback about the quality of a particular piece of work.
Terry Bennett - Principal
School Council Report
Tuesdays meeting was a long one and, at times, animated. Some important policies regarding students engaging in exceptional
behaviour and the school uniform were discussed and passed.
With regard to school uniform, a letter written by members of the school band was presented to council requesting band members
be allowed to wear their music jackets as part of the school uniform. This was discussed at length and has been handed to the
Marketing Sub-committee, with an aim to make recommendations for the next council meeting. Council members were impressed
to see students using the council to put forward their point of view and have changes made. Please refer to the Uniform Policy in
full at the end of this newsletter.
It was announced that the school's signage is nearly here, and will hopefully be up by the end of term. It was noted that some
people have had trouble finding the school so it is great that this is nearly ready.
Concerns were raised about student and car interactions at the entrance to the senior campus, and actions will be investigated to
try and make that part of the school safer.
The next sub-committee meetings will be on 18 June, with the next council meeting a week later on 25 June.
Simon Parker – Parent Representative
College Captains Report
It has now been nearly four months since Melba College commenced its first day in history. Along the way, students from both the
Senior and Junior Campus have been interacting in various ways within the community and have already had many exciting
opportunities to be involved in events and activities throughout the school.
For the first time ever, Melba College will be conducting an Athletics Day as a whole school event which will be great for everyone
to be involved in and get dressed up to help support their house colours even if they’re not competing in events.
We now have new house captains from the Junior Campus! Hayden, Frances and I congratulated the young leaders with their
badges last week and they were full of smiles. We are all looking forward to having the opportunity to participate this Thursday, 23
May at the Athletics Day.
Tamara Cooper
Parents/carers are requested to ring the relevant campus using the Absentee Hot Line if your child will be absent or late due to
illness or for any other reason, eg extended family holidays, and leave a message, outlining the reason for the absence and if
known, the length of time the child will be away. 24 hour Absentee Hot Lines - Junior Campus 9725 8277 Senior Campus 9539
2345
JUNIOR CAMPUS
Junior School Report
Maths Parent Support Session
Following our very successful Parent Maths Support evening, we will be running a second session in the Junior Campus library on
Tuesday 4 June. All welcome. Parents who attended the last session found it very beneficial and have indicated their intention to
attend following sessions. Please arrive at 5.50pm for a prompt 6.00pm start. Sessions usually take about an hour, and are for
parents of Year 7 students.
Year 9
Recently, Year 9 students were given permission slips to obtain a tax file number application form. Any students who have handed
in permission slips but have not received their TFN form should see Mrs Steele in the Junior School office as soon as possible. If
you need a new permission slip, also see Mrs Steele.
Year 9 students were also spoken to by our Careers and Pathways leader Mrs Dee Arambasic regarding Box Hill TAFE’s Taster
Programs. If students are wishing to participate in one of these programs, they need to see Mrs Steele immediately. There are still
places available in these courses but some are at risk of not running due to lack of interest.
Year 9 students are invited to submit expressions of interest for a student forum on environmental sustainability called “Start the
Switch”. Any Year 9 students who wish to attend should see Mrs Steele or Mrs Joanne Kirby.
Junior School Assembly
Thursday last week we held a Junior Sub-school
assembly to recognise the outstanding
achievements of students. Our Junior School
captains Nick and Iang were charged with the
responsibility of acting as the Masters of Ceremony
for the event. Speaking to approximately 430 of
their peers was quite a daunting task but, despite
some initial nerves, they rose to the challenge
beautifully and ran a well organised assembly. The
Junior School captains had the honour of
announcing the newly elected House Captains. The
successful candidates were:
Waratah (Red) Ben Stelfox and Sung Sung
Wattle (Yellow) Josh Ogston and Jadzia TimsonFarrell
Banksia (Green) Vincent Lam and Cuai Cuai
Blue Gum (Blue) Jacob Diegan and Hayley
Stephens
Badge presentations were made by our Senior
School captains, Frances, Hayden and Tamara,
who joined us for the assembly. Many thanks to
them for their support.
We also heard from Maddi Loos who represented our form captains who had the opportunity to attend the VIC SCR conference for
student leaders which she described as a fantastic learning experience. We heard from Year 7 students about the absolutely
fantastic Language Showcase Evening on 9 May. The place getters from the Year 7 Cross Country were presented with their
ribbons by the Junior Captains and we celebrated the achievements of our girl’s badminton team and boys’ soccer team who
competed successfully at district level. The assembly was punctuated beautifully with student musical performances from Sui,
Jerry, Matt and Aiden and a dance from our Dance Fair Competitors Mikayla, Grace and Steph.
The assembly had a wonderful positive feel to it and students were attentive and showed great respect for their peers.
House Assemblies
Our brand new house captains were given little time to settle in before taking on their first official role. House captains ran their first
House Assemblies on Tuesday this week in preparation for the College Athletics Carnival. The captains took their houses through
the organisation for the day and worked on developing their house chants. I congratulate the House Captains on the admirable way
they performed their duties in these assemblies.
Alison Steele – Junior School Leader
Year 7 Report
It has been a very big couple of weeks for our Year 7 students. Not only did they have their NAPLAN tests for three days and
participate in the Cross Country, they also had their Language Showcase evening. In all cases, I was extremely proud of the
students at our College. The students in Year 7 showed maturity, confidence, respect and endeavour to complete all of these tasks.
The students were extremely excited and well prepared for their Showcase evening. It was fantastic to see so many parents
supporting their child and looking at presentations. Connor Gale gave a fantastic speech at our Junior School Assembly about the
evening.
The Cross Country top 5 males and females were also presented with ribbons at our Junior School Assembly.
A big fortnight for everyone, and a highly successful one. Congratulations to our Year 7 Students for being wonderful citizens of
Melba College.
Deb Stacey – Year 7 Leader
Dance Fair
On Friday 17 May, after many weeks of practising, Steph Stack, Mikayla
Bragg, Olivia Watson, Ashleigh Klepac and myself represented Melba
College at the Dance Fair. This was held at Fairhills SC. Dance Fair is a
choreography competition against other schools in the areas.
Steph, Mikayla and I entered as a team, Olivia and Ashleigh entered as a duo
and Steph also entered as a solo. We were all very excited when the awards
nd
nd
were given out. Ashleigh and Oliva came 2 , Steph came 2 in her solo and
st
Steph, Mikayla and myself came 1 . We were all very happy with our
performances. All teams that entered from Melba College got a place.
If Mikayla, Steph and I win next year that will make it three wins in a row as
we won last year also. We are all looking forward to next year.
Grace Cisilin – Year 8
Languages News
Year 7 “Famous German/Japanese Speaker” at the Languages Showcase Evening
On 9 May our Year 7 students rolled out the red carpet to parade a veritable “A-List” of famous
German and Japanese celebrities for their CAT2 task, including amongst others: Roger Federer,
Yuki Kuramochi, Claudia Schiffer, Tetsuya Wakuda, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Miki Andou.
The students created an exhibition table comprised of a timeline of their person’s life, a fact file of
their main achievements with edible artifacts, a character study plus a speech for the Showcase
Evening. Throughout the entire evening there was a buzz of activity, best summed up by the
student comments below:
It was epic! Best project ever! – Jodah Briggs 703
It was really cool how we could dress up for our Famous Person and eat!
I reckon the best thing was how the tables were all set up – Harley Cerna
& Jake Collings 705
The night was spectacular! I liked the effort people went to presenting
their famous person. – Grace Jacobs 701
It was really great. Funny and fun! I learnt heaps about famous German
and Japanese people. Kate Heriot & Claudia Foulis 705
It was great seeing people dressed up – Jasmin Carmody 702
I hope we do something like this again – Ethan Roman 704
Big thanks also go to the International Programs team, Brenton Millott with
Megan, Georgia and Luke from Year 11 for their great display and supporting us
all with food and drinks. Lastly, but not least of all, to you the families behind the
scenes and, of course, the Year 7 Languages teachers without whom this would
not have been possible: Hui Lin Xu, Steve Moyle and Kathy Halpin with Lindah
McKeahnie.
Alison Bate – Languages Domain Leader, Melba College
Year 9 Café Craft
On Friday 17 May Year 9 Café Craft students were very keen to produce their Melba Café menu design options in a CAT class
activity. Students had to design an appealing, tasty lunch food item that could be served at a school café. There was much
excitement as the food items evolved. Here are some of the creations.
Joanne Kirby Year 9 Café Craft
Sport Report- Junior Campus
Our Year 9 and10 students took part recently in a round robin competition competing against other schools in the Maroondah
Sports District. We fielded teams in Boys Football, Boys and Girls Soccer and Badminton, as well as Girls Netball. Our best
performed teams on the day were the Girls Badminton, who won their competition, and the Boys Soccer team, who finished
runners up.
The Girls Badminton team played exceptionally well to remain undefeated on the day and have now qualified to play in the Eastern
Region finals on 2 August. They performed well as individuals in the singles matches and then combined to outpoint their
opponents in the doubles. We wish these girls all the best as they progress to the next level. Team members were: Julie Par, Eh
Kler Paw, Elena Mang and Htee Set Cho. Good luck,girls!
The Boys Soccer team played to a high standard throughout their qualifying matches and earned the right to play Ringwood in the
final. In a very closely fought match, they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Ringwood in the final. The team played extremely well and are to
be congratulated on their performances throughout the day. Year 9 Team members were: Eh Tha Pwe Htoo, Joshua Mung, Danny
Thomas, Jerry Jahau, Zo Sang, Moe Win, Avel Kheng Lawt, Mar la kee Mar la kee, Ronald Hlawn Ching.
The Junior School Cross Country was held last week, which was compulsory for Year 7 and 8 students, with Year 9 students
signing up to run if they wanted to try and qualify to represent the College in the Maroondah District Cross Country. The top ten
qualifiers from each age group will run in the next round on Friday 7June. Students in the 15 years age group will have to wait until
the Senior Campus Cross Country is run on 27 May to see if they make the team. The top 10 finishers in each age group were as
follows:
13 y.o Girls
13 y.o Boys
14 y.o Girls
Katie Coucher
Matt Ogston
Bronte Rowlands
Bridget Mullins
Jake King
Therese Hird
Annie Doh
Bailey Booth
Kaylah Kennedy
Melinda Hull
Bailey Butcher
Chloe Guilfoyle
Emma Dall
Luke Perry
Taleisha Heath
Abbey Ciccotelli
Rohnan Donohue
Rebecca Wallace
Annie La
Justin Foulis
Rosalie Kheng Lawt
Shay Taylor
Lachlan Edwards
Amy Wilmot
Teagan Wood
Thang Za Thang
Mawi Mawi Van Tin Mawi
Shannon Kairys
Aaron Beveridge
Kayley Tassell
14 y.o Boys
Damon Nicolson
Matthew Pike
Stephen Laurie-Sanders
Ethan Roman
Liam Macreadie- Day
Lucas Hayde
Josh Whelan
Damon Krygger
Jack Swindell
Sean Dowley
15 y.o Girls
Rebecca Marks
Corinne Mullins
Demi Carmody
Hayley Stephens
Nomiola Tuima
Zoe Brennan-Power
Jade Triangolo
!5 y.o Boys
Lachlan George
Tres Sharp
George Benham
Cameron Hull
Mitchell Clavant
Josh Ogston
James Dall
Corey Simcocks
Lucas Steele
Ben Stelfox
A venue has not been confirmed as yet, as the normal venue H.E. Parker Reserve had been double booked.
In the next report I will provide a summary of the Melba College Athletcs Carnival which was held at Ringwood Athletics Track on
Thursday 23 May.
Paul Durrant - Sport Co-ordinator- Junior Campus
SENIOR CAMPUS
Senior School News
Although it feels like the term has just begun, there are only two weeks remaining in Semester One. Semester One subjects will
finalise for Year 10 and Year 11 on Wednesday, 5 June and for Year 12 on Friday, 7June.
Exams
Year 10 and Year 11 students will commence exams on Thursday 6 June. Year 12 students do not have exams except for the
compulsory General Achievement Test (GAT) which is undertaken by all students studying a Unit 3 & 4 subject (including Year 11
students) on Wednesday, 12 June. Further details about the GAT and the mid-year exams will be provided to students in the
coming week.
Post –Exams
Year 10 – Challenge Week will take place in the week beginning 17 June. This is an exciting and innovative schedule of events for
the students involving a range of in-school and excursion based activities. In the week beginning 24 June all Year 10 students will
be on their Work Experience placements. Year 11 & Year 12 students will commence studies in Unit 2 and Unit 4 subjects on
Monday 17June.
Course Information – Semester Two
Next week students will be presented with their Semester Two electives and offered the opportunity to make changes – where
possible – to their electives (Year 10) or their Unit Two subjects (Year 11). As parents can imagine, this can be a complicated and
time-consuming process and students will be asked to follow a set procedure to ensure that this process runs smoothly. All
students that request a subject change will be counselled by year level leaders, myself or our careers counsellor. Parents will be
notified of any requested change. If parents have further questions about this process, please contact me directly.
Amanda Pate - Senior School Leader
Year 12 News
Principal presentation
On Friday 10 May our Year 12 Captains presented our Principal, Mr Bennett, his
very own Class of 2013 Jacket. In the presentation, our captains thanked Mr
Bennett for all his hard work this year in bringing our cohorts together. I believe it
was also a very special moment for Mr Bennett; it was his first ever Year 12
Jacket he had received.
Academic Coaching
Academic Coaching is now fully underway on Wednesdays and Fridays for our
Year 12 Students. Every fortnight, students will be interviewed by their Academic Coach in regards to Study Practices and
Revision, as well as reflecting on their performances in Exams. Students have nominated either Wednesday or Friday as their
preferred day, and it is vital that they bring their Master Notes to ensure the success in this program. Students should have a
separate folder to store their notes in, and we thank parents for the support of this program.
Brenton Millott – Senior School Leader
Year 12 Business Management Excursion
On Tuesday 14 May, the two Year 12 Business Management
classes went on an excursion to The Carlton Brewhouse in
Abbotsford. This excursion was organised to give students an
insight into the production process of a large scale organisation,
which is our area of study at the moment. It was really good to
have hands on experience of what we are studying, and really
helped us understand a production process in detail.
We were taken on a tour around the brewery, where we were
shown machinery used in the processes, such as fermentation
tanks and bottling departments. 660,000 litres of beer was
produced in 6 tanks, and there were up to 28 fermentation tanks
on the site. The CUB is environmentally friendly, and doesn’t release any carbon dioxide. We also found out that the process from
milling to packaging the beer takes 3 – 4 weeks!
We were taught about pasteurisation and quality control, and also a little bit of history of the
brewery! For example, during the 1930s, the first
automatic machinery was introduced, which was used
for labelling the beer. Nowadays the brewery makes 2
million litres of beer per day, which is 5,333,333
stubbies per day!
Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the excursion, and we
learned lots of interesting things about the processes of an organisation. A big thanks to Miss
Pate and Mrs Lange for organising this fantastic trip for us!
Year 11 News
With completion of Outcomes, exams, assessment and reports looming up it’s a very busy time for everyone. No doubt there are
some stresses and tensions as time gets tight.
Here are some tips for tackling the next few weeks:
*All teachers want their students to do the very best they can so it’s a good time to make sure if there are any doubts about any part
of the course content TALK to your teachers.
* If you are struggling with managing your time TALK to your teachers or one of the Senior School leaders.
* Make sure you have a quiet place to study, revise and catch up on any outstanding work. TALK to your parents about what you
are doing. Use them as a sounding board for your subject areas and keep them updated with any concerns or anxieties you might
be going through.
* Eat well, sleep well and keep up with your sports or do some exercise and get some fresh air. Walking is very good for giving your
brain some time out.
* Be self-disciplined about using social media, facebook, and computer games. These are time sponges and can take your good
brain use away from applying it to your studies.
* Keep up with your friendship groups but if you are out and about on the weekends, make sure you do not stay out or up too late.
* If you have part time work, inform your employer of the study and exam time coming up. Make sure you keep work hours to a
minimum. Less than 10 hours per week is recommended or reduce them further during exam time if you can.
* Remember, we all procrastinate and live surrounded by unlimited distractions. Technology is a wonderful tool but nothing replaces
the opportunities to TALK to people and share the burdens as well as the joy of learning and understanding. It’s then we start to
reveal what we are really made of.
Central Australia Tour
There are still places available for the Central Australia tour
in September.
If you wish to go make sure you get your expression of
interest form in to the general office as soon as possible.
It is an excellent opportunity to see the
vast expanse of our Australian outback
including visits to the opal mines of
Coober Pedy and the iconic Uluru,
sleeping under the stars at Kings
Canyon and the town of Alice.
Glistening salt lakes, wildflowers of the
desert, dingoes, thorny devils, and
sublime geographic formations such as the prehistoric Mac Donnell ranges combine
in an experience of a lifetime.
Please see Mrs Hubble or Mrs Zinghini for an expression of interest form and more
information about the tour. Dates of the tour are from Saturday 14 September Monday 23 September inclusive. Total cost is $950 which includes a deposit of
$200 due by Monday 3 June.
An information session will be held before the end of term two and an evening
session will be held in term three.
E. Hubble, L. Zinghini - Year 11 Leaders
Year 10 News
The past two weeks have been busy for Year 10 students. With excursions, Outcome tasks, Sports competition preparations, they
have been a whirl-wind through the corridors!
Debating
On Monday 13 May, the Year 10 Debating team competed in their first ‘advised’ round at Tintern School in East Ringwood. The
team of 5 students were pre-advised that the topic would relate to ‘politics’, but had no further information. Darci Morton, Aoife
Healey, Amy Sanderson, Jessey Dalla Vecchia and Jasmine Schumaker were required to present 60 minutes before their debate
to receive their topic, and then had the hour to prepare their speeches ready for an 8pm debate. Competing against Tintern on their
home turf, the girls had the difficult position of the negative argument on the topic ‘Australia should become a Republic’. The three
speakers presented themselves confidently and professionally to win the debate convincingly. Another solid achievement went to,
Amy and Jessey, who tied on equal points for ‘Best Speaker’. Congratulations to the team on their first win as Melba College!
Beacon Polish Program
On Tuesday 14 May, 18 Year 10 girls accompanied Miss Box, Miss Papas and Ms Eaton into the city to take part in the Beacon
Polish Program. Held at Fernwood Fitness Head Offices on Flinders Lane, the program focused on employability skills and
preparedness for work experiences and entry into the work force. The girls took themselves outside of their comfort zones and
worked on first impressions, using networking to build connections and participated in team building activities. They then used
these skills to host a number of guests from Origin Energy and VLine for lunch and the mentor session in the afternoon. The
program concluded with the girls constructing goals for the remainder of the year and developing strategies to make these real and
achievable. All 18 students were exceptionally well behaved and a credit to themselves and the College – it was amazing to see
the growth in each of them over the course of the day, and Rochelle and Ben from Beacon were similarly impressed. These
students will be presented with their Certificates of Participation at the next Year Level Assembly.
Exams, Study Habits And Completion Of Work
‘At Risk’ notifications have been posted home to families of students in Year 10 who are currently significantly at risk in multiple
subjects. These students have been identified by their teachers for concern in numerous areas, including the satisfactory
completion of Outcomes, completion of class work or homework, behavioural concerns or effort. We request that if you receive one
of these letters, that you contact us at the College to arrange a mutually convenient time to conduct a meeting regarding these
concerns.
With so many great activities on offer for our students, it is easy to forget that the exam period is looming. Year 10 students will
undertake their exams from Thursday 6 June – Thursday 13 June inclusive. Students should be utilising their time at home to
revise for all of their subjects and will take part in a study-skills seminar over the coming weeks. If you have any concerns about
your child managing their workload or preparing for exams, please contact one of us at the College.
We remind you that Monday 10 June (Labour Day) and Friday 14 June (Report Writing Day) are student-free days, and therefore
your children will not be required to attend.
Adriana Box & Michael Benjamin – Year 10 Leaders
COLLEGE NEWS
“WINDOW TO MY WORLD” Student Drama Project 2013
Melba College students studying English as an Additional Language (EAL) at
both the Junior and Senior campuses are fortunate in having the opportunity to
participate in the “Window to My World” Student Drama Project 2013.
This Project creates an opportunity for dialogue and friendship between
students of different backgrounds, as well as providing a voice for young
refugees in Maroondah. With the enthusiasm and motivational guidance of
Project co-ordinator Kate Wilde (youth worker with the Migrant Information
Centre - MIC), the youth theatre and performance expertise of Zac Alaimo
(Fresh Youth Theatre), and supportive assistance of Tess Jolley (MIC youth
worker), EAL students are producing some short drama pieces which highlight
aspects of their difficult journey in establishing a new life in Australia. Students
share their experiences in the hope of encouraging understanding, as well as
furthering cross-cultural friendship.
The drama pieces are to be performed at Melba College, as well as at a local feeder primary school, and also at a community event
to celebrate the end of the project in Term 2. This wonderful opportunity has been made possible thanks to the Migrant Information
Centre, with funding provided by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Diana Woodruff, Annie Cheng, EAL teachers
The Reporters’ Academy
What a busy couple of months and hence the silence from our corner! I will give a brief overview of each and if you would like more
information we are launching our new website in a few weeks so we will have more information.
VET: The VET program had a great Term 1 and students participated in a whole day video production workshop in the holidays.
This term students have conducted an interview and skills are improving each week. The facilities at Ringwood are first class and
our tutors are amazing. Students are very lucky to have such experience working with them and this will be reflected in the project
work we will complete in coming weeks.
Maroondah Council: Our Reporters were the official media for the Maroondah Youth Awards held on 5 April. Congratulations
to all the students of the MEC for their nominations. The talent in our community looks very positive for our future. A big thanks to
Katie Smith and Bec for their work on the awards program. It was a great publication and the council were very grateful for our
contribution. Melba’s own Tahlia Haworth-Hooker performed two songs and was a highlight of the evening.
ONOC Assembly: TRA were invited to Fiji for the Oceania National Olympic Committees meeting to act as official reporters but
also to be thanked for the work carried out by our reporters pre, during and post London. Courtney Smyth gave the official address
at the launch of the book that celebrated the work of the reporters in London. We were able to secure our involvement in both the
Commonwealth and Olympic Games for the next 6 years.
Sports Without Borders: 4 students from our senior campus were invited to attend and report on the Sports Without Borders
conference on Friday at Moonee Valley Race Course. Here they learnt about the major issues for the sporting community and
interviewed TV journalists and the Minister for sport Kate Lundy. This is the third year in a row they have done this. They also
interviewed Mr. Corr’s brother Tim who is the manager of sports IT company SportingPulse.
Junior Reporters At Melba: We have finished our recruiting for our junior program and 22 students from across Years 7 -9
have put their hands up to be involved. Ms Carson has created an excellent online program that will see these reporters work from
junior to senior reporter as they learn the skills of journalism. Our first project is a community newspaper, which will be launched in
July. We are looking for a name so if anyone thinks of one please let one of our team know. Junior reporters are meeting each
Thursday lunchtime in T6. Next week we will be allocating articles for the newspaper and our research will begin.
Change Of Name For TRA: to allow us to seek funding within Australia and create a not for profit organization, TRA will be
rebranding. The name and brand is being worked on now but we are really excited about this change as it will open up many
opportunities for us.
Australian Olympic Committee: On the back of our work last year in London the AOC have asked us to cover two very
important events that involve schools and we will get an opportunity to work closely with them in preparation for the next Olympics
in Rio. Our content will be displayed on the official AOC website. We are the only program being offered this opportunity.
Edwina Ricci - MEC TRA Leader
Girls Rugby 7’s Day
Melba College fielded 3 teams at the Melbourne Rebels Girls Rugby
7s day at Endeavour Hills, with students ranging from Year 9 through
to Year 12. The day was designed as an introduction to rugby, and the
format was modified to use tags rather than tackling. Most of our girls
had never played rugby before, but participated enthusiastically. It was
great to see the improvement in skills and teamwork from the start of
the day to the end.
Peter Coventry - Coach
At 8:40, we left school for girls’ rugby. When we got there we met people from the
Melbourne Rebels and they taught us a chant and a warmup. After that, we practised
our rugby skills and then played. We had 4 games in total. We tried our hardest and
had a lot of fun. Melba won a few games. The other teams were more advanced but
we still did well. All in all it was a great day in which we made a lot of friends and
learned new skills. We would love to do it again and we highly recommend it for other
people to try.
Gaby and Gilan (Year 9)
CAREERS NEWS
YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE
A reminder that all Year 10 students will be participating in work experience from 24 – 28 June 2013. Parents are asked to assist
their child in finding a work placement. Often family members, friends or associates are willing to take on a student for work
experience. Parents your ideas and contacts are vital in this process as students attempt to source placements! Students without a
placement for the week of 24 June will have received a reminder letter in last week’s mail. All Work Experience placement forms
should be returned to school ASAP to allow sufficient time to process paperwork.
YEAR 10 INTRODUCTION TO UNIVERSITY AT DEAKIN
Year 10 students and parents are invited to this event; hear about VCE subject selection, post-secondary study options,
pathways, and graduate outcomes. Hear from current students, recent graduates, and from staff, and also share some pizza!
When: 6.30-8pm, Tues 28 May;
Where: 221 Burwood Rd, Burwood;
Register: http://www.deakin.edu.au/study-at-deakin/future-students.
Also at Geelong Waterfront campus, Gheringhap Rd, 6.30-8pm, Wed 29 May.
Year 12 VCE TIS-Tertiary Information Session
All year 12 VCE students will be taking part in the Tertiary Information Session at Deakin University (Burwood campus). This will
th
occur on Thursday 27 June. Students will be given information about pathways to University and TAFE, scholarship information,
the VTAC application process and much more. Students will be able to ask questions of the panel as needed and they will be able
to collect course information provided by the various Universities and institutions. Students will also take part in a tour of the
Burwood campus to allow them to gain a better understanding of the facilities provided at the Burwood campus. Permission forms
will be distributed shortly.
Focus on Box Hill Institute
Pathway program applications for Year 9 students close first week of June!
Any student wishing to take part in such a program should see Mrs Steele for an application form and return it ASAP. These
courses allow students to try out various TAFE courses, one day or afternoon a week for the duration of Semester 2. For detailed
information about courses on offer click in the following link:
http://www.bhtafe.edu.au/about/Documents/publications/Pathways%20booklet.pdf
Box Hill Institute has a mid-year Information Night coming up
When: 4pm-7pm, 19 June;
Where: Information Kiosk, Elgar Campus, 465 Elgar Road.
If you are ready to study and don’t want to wait until 2014, then this session could be for you. Lots of courses are starting mid-year,
so go along and meet staff and get your questions answered. Box Hill offers small classes, guaranteed pathways to a number of
universities (incl Deakin, La Trobe, ACU and Monash), study tours and overseas exchange programs.
Important dates at Box Hill institute:
May 28 Mid-Year intake Info Night for Sport, Recreation, Events & Fitness Courses - 2013 Semester 2, 6pm
June 7 Online applications close for Pathways Programs for Semester 2
June 12 & 13 Semester 2 VCE enrolments
June 19 Mid Year intake Info Night, 4 - 7pm
July 15 Next intake for Furniture Making Pre-Apprenticeship
August 6 EASTLAND Careers Expo
August 25 Open Day
November 13 Sports Fitness Info Night. Designed for students who have included BHI as a VTAC option or would like to apply
directly.
Attention Year 12 students wanting to study medicine and Physiotherapy at Monash University
UMAT: Registrations close 7 June; test date: 31 July, 2013. The UMAT is required for Monash medicine and
and for some interstate courses. See: http://umat.acer.edu.au
physiotherapy
Zoos Victoria July School Holiday Programs 2013
Healesville Sanctuary: Vet for a Day. Years 9-12. 3, 4, 10, 11 July
Interested in becoming a vet? Our Australian Wildlife Health Centre receives over 1,500 injured and orphaned wild animals
each year. Come and work alongside our vets in a unique program on real life cases involving Healesville Sanctuary’s animal
collection, including endangered species, as well as injured wildlife brought to the hospital.
Healesville Sanctuary: Keeper for a Day – Years 7-12 - 2, 3, 9, 10 July
Do you want to help save endangered animals? Come and work as a keeper at Healesville Sanctuary next school holidays and
get up close to some of our most precious and endangered Australian animals. Be the first to go behind the scenes and meet our
amazing keepers looking after threatened species including Tasmanian Devils and Mountain Pygmy Possums.
Werribee Open Range Zoo: Keeper for a Day - Years 7-12 - 2, 4, 8, 10 July
Are you interested in working with animals? If you are keen to find out what it takes to work in a zoo, caring for the amazing
array of different animals, then come out to Werribee Open Range Zoo next school holidays. Come and discover what a keeper's
day really involves! Keeper for a Day allows participants to work in the Zoo for the day, helping out our keepers and learning about
one of the most rewarding jobs at a zoo!
Bookings: 92859406
Using Compass
When you first log on what do you see and what does it tell you?
When you log on to Compass this is what you see:
Your name will appear here
This area will let you know of any technical issues that
prevent you using Compass to maximum efficiency
Your child’s name and form will appear here
My Alerts brings advises
you of attendance issues
that require your attention
If you have another child their name and form will appear here
My News gives you information about all the happening in your
child’s school life. This area expands when you click on ‘More’
Student Profile allows you to access their timetable, their
attendance, where it is you will download their reports.
From this very first screen you will be able to access information about their timetable, their attendance, the events going on in their
school life and, at the end of the Semester it is where you will download their reports.
More details on each of these in future editions of the Melba Voice
If you have any queries on the use of Compass please feel free to contact me by email – baston.john.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
John Baston - Assistant Principal
Melba College - Uniform Policy 2013
1.
Out Of Uniform Policy
1. A signed note from the parent/guardian is required at all times when a student is out of uniform. Failure to provide an
explanation may result in detention.
2. Students who are not wearing the approved uniform must report to their Year Level Leader, Sub School Leader or
Assistant Principal before the start of the school day.
3. All students not in correct uniform will be expected to change into loaned items that are provided before the start of
the school day. Where uniform items are not available a pass will be issued.
4. The student’s non-uniform item will be labelled and stored by the Year Level Leader, Sub School Leader or Assistant
Principal. It will be returned to the student at the end of the day.
5. Parents/Guardians will be contacted by the Year Level Leader if the student continues to be out of uniform.Out of
Uniform issues will be documented by the Year Level Leader, Sub School Leader or Assistant Principal.
6. Any student who fails to follow teachers’ instructions regarding uniform will be issued with detention (or suspension).
7. Exceptions to the Uniform Policy may be allowed when documented medical or religious reasons exist which are
approved by an Assistant Principal.
2.
Allowable Uniform Items
1. All items must be official college uniform purchased through PSW or the school.
2. Year 7 students must wear Melba College uniform. This includes the use of the Melba College bag (back pack).
3. Years 8 to 12 students can wear Croydon, Maroondah or Melba College uniform during 2013 and 2014.
4. By the commencement of the 2015 school year all students must be wearing full Melba College uniform.
5. It is expected that students in Years 8 to 12 replace items with Melba College schoolwear during 2013 and 2014. In
some cases (particularly if financial hardship exists) it may be possible for the school to provide Croydon or
Maroondah College items. A nominal sum will be charged for these at the discretion of the Assistant Principal.
Consideration for financial hardship will be at the Assistant Principal’s discretion.
6. Year 12 students are allowed to wear one special item once the design and style is approved by school council.
7. No restrictions are placed on summer/winter uniform items in 2013. This will be reviewed in 2014 in preparation for
the 2015 school year.
8. Special event clothing items must be approved by School Council and the duration for which they can be worn will be
decided by School Council or the Principal group.
3.
List of Uniform Items – Melba College
General Uniform
1. Pants
Boys and Girls
2. Shirt
Boys and Girls – Long and short sleeved
3. Summer Dress
Girls
4. Winter Skirt
Girls
5. Shorts
Boys and Girls (Unisex)
6. Jumper
Boys and Girls - Terracotta (Junior School), Eucalyptus Green (Senior School)
7. Oxford Jacket
Boys and Girls
8. Blazer
Boys and Girls – Optional
9. Tie
Boys and Girls – Optional
10. Shoes
Boys and Girls - Black leather lace up school shoes (not suede)
11. Bag (Backpack)
Phys Ed/Sport Uniform
12. Phys Ed Shorts
Boys and Girls
13. Phys Ed Polo
Boys and Girls - Sublimation Design
14. Track Pants
Boys and Girls – Optional
15. Rugby Top
Boys and Girls – Optional
16. Sport shoes Boys and Girls - Appropriate runners/track shoes (laces or velcro)
4.
Uniform Rules
1. All items must be official college uniform from PSW or supplied through the school.
2. Uniform rules apply to and from school. Black school shoes are to be worn to and from school.
3. Uniforms must always be worn appropriately, be neat and tidy, and be kept in a good state of repair. Pants must not
touch the ground.
4. Non uniform jackets, jumpers and hoodies are not permitted; however a rain jacket can be worn to and from school
when the weather is wet.
5. Black scarves and gloves can be worn in cold weather. Gloves are not to be worn inside the school buildings. Scarves
are not to be worn in class.
6. Black caps/hats without any advertising or sponsorship logos can be worn during Phys Ed / Sport lessons and outside
during recess and lunch times. Caps/hats must be placed in lockers during class times.
7. No modifications to uniform items are to be made. Girls’ dresses and skirts must be no more than 10cm above the
knee. Infringements to this will be treated as an ‘Out of Uniform’ issue.
8. Girls’ summer dresses are to be worn with white socks. Tights are not permitted to be worn with the summer dress.
Skin coloured pantyhose are permitted.
9. Girls’ winter skirts can be worn with white socks, black socks or black tights. If socks and tights are worn the socks
must be under the tights. No leggings are permitted.
10. Boys’ pants are to be worn with black socks. Boys shorts are to be worn with black or white socks.
11. Plain white T-shirts, camisoles and singlets may be worn under school uniform items to provide extra warmth however
they must not be visible.
12. No necklaces or chains are to be visible.The exception to this is for medical alerts. 1 charity wristband can be worn.
No rings or bracelets are to be worn. 1 or 2 ear piercings per ear are allowed. One facial piercing is permitted.
Sleepers must be small in diameter. Studs must be small and round (not pointed).Piercing spacers are not to be worn.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Body piercings cannot be visible. All piercings must be removed or appropriately taped for sporting activities. The
Assistant Principals will have discretion over the appropriateness of any piercings.
Belts must be plain black with simple buckles (no writing, designs or logos).
Students can wear their complete PE uniform to school provided their PE classes are held in Period 1. Where PE or
Sport is timetabled during Period 4, students can wear their complete PE uniform home at the end of the day.
Students who have PE during Period 3 followed by Sport Period 4 can remain in their PE uniform during lunch time.
Students may wear sport shoes during Drama, Dance and Performance classes. Black school shoes are to be worn
at all other times, including recess and lunch, unless students are involved in sporting activities.
Hair colourings are to be in natural shades. Extreme hair designs are not permitted. Any make up worn must look
natural. Clear nail polish only. Tattoos are not permitted to be visible at any time. The Assistant Principals will have
discretion over the appropriateness of any of these items.
Items worn in the hair (such as hair ribbons and hairbands) must be school colours (black, terracotta, eucalyptus
green). The exception is on school sports days when house colours may be worn.
Items worn for religious purposes must be endorsed by an Assistant Principal.
Year 7 Parent Maths Support Sessions
As a part of both our Transition Program and the Melba College’s aim to improve Numeracy in our students, we are pleased to
introduce a new initiative in 2013.
If you have looked at your child’s Mathematics homework recently only to discover that you are challenged when asked for support
by your child, we are offering a solution. The college will be offering a number of evening sessions for parents or guardians based
around the Year 7 Mathematics curriculum.
We are intending to run sessions at approximately three week intervals which will coincide with the beginning of a new Maths topic
for our Year 7 students. Sessions will run from 6pm to 7pm in the Junior Campus library.
The focus of the sessions will be to familiarise families with the curriculum content and provide them with strategies to assist their
children with homework tasks and preparation for assessment tasks. The sessions will be conducted in a friendly and relaxed
environment with a qualified staff member, and will involve a hot drink and a bite of supper.
These sessions are targeting parents and guardians, so leave the kids at home. A Homework Club will be available for students in
the next few weeks.
Dates for the Maths Support sessions will be published in the college newsletter and interested families can also be contacted by
email.
If you are interested in attending the Maths Support sessions, please complete the form below and return to the General Office, the
Junior School Leader Alison Steele or Carol Ashton, Assistant Principal. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact
the college on 9725 8277.
Alison Steele - Junior School Leader
Carol Ashton - Assistant Principal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am interested in attending one or more of the Year 7 Maths Support sessions at Melba College.
Parent/ Guardian name___________________________________
Student’s name
___________________________________
Form ________________
I would like to be contacted by email to find out the details for the Maths Support sessions YES/ NO
Email Address____________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________
2013 Entertainment books are available from both campuses for the cost of $65.00. Proceeds to Chaplaincy
Support.