Term 2, Week 3, 2023 12 May 2023

With Mother’s Day recently I have been able to reflect on this passing of time and the importance of family. Two weeks ago, Craig and I became grandparents for the first time. We have had to wait patiently, not saying too much as you can’t with adult children who have established their own independent lives with both personally and professionally. Both our daughters are in their thirties, strong feminists both, and their careers are important to them. Our son is still coming to terms with the idea of a baby in our lives but judging by the look of love for our grandson in photos, his partner quite possibly is more advanced in her thinking on this! I have told them I would like a little girl now and they are calling me ‘Greedy Grandma’.

It has been a week of an outpouring of love from family, friends, and this wonderful staff here at Strathcona. One knows that family and friends are happy for you when good things happen, but I am so touched by the joy for us of the staff here and I want them to know how much this means. Of course, it is typical of this community, and I should not have been surprised. 

This big event in our lives happened shortly after a visit I made to Central Queensland to visit some of my siblings. One of my sisters turned 60 and we organized a sisters get together at The Haven on the beach at a place called Emu Park, which is a sleepy beach town. The Catholic Church used to own The Haven and we went on retreats there as schoolgirls. I have three sisters and all of us work in education in different capacities. We are very different though, so being together for three days could have gone well – or not! Really not. But it was a beautiful few days of sharing memories and what our lives have brought to each of us. One of my sisters has four teenagers so is at a stage in life like a lot of you. And another has kids making their way through university. We visited and walked around our old beach house in Yeppoon where we holidayed every year of our lives and remembered childhood games on the beach and teenage trysts. We also remembered Mum always being a bit on edge as my three brothers were a little on the wild side and loved the holiday beach-feeling freedom; the adventures and taking risks such as exploring the creek and cutting it close to get out in incoming tides; or surfing in big waters when it was cyclonic; sliding down steep hills on bits of cardboard. The fact that two sets of cousins also with big families were there too made it wonderful for the kids, but in retrospect, I can see why Mum was constantly on alert and glad to get home so she could rein everyone in back to the usual routines. 

On the last day, the three of us met our three brothers, and we visited our parents’ and our grandparents’ graveside and then drove past where we grew up in Rockhampton. My parents lived there from their marriage until they died. Again, there were so many memories. As I looked at 121 Rundle Street, I remembered when Craig told my father as he was hosing in the front yard one Sunday after Mass, that he had asked me to marry him. Dad, who was not especially fond of lawyers, especially barristers, raised his eyebrows and said: ‘Oh yes, and what did she say?’ A new little family lives there now and another generation is raising their kids and creating their own memories, which made us so happy. My mother’s heart would be filled with joy to see children playing in the yard again. She loved babies and small children. I think teenagers she could take or leave at times, understandable given the shenanigans of some of my siblings! For someone who was quite reserved and looked like Grace Kelly she was certainly capable of being fierce if she thought we were doing the wrong thing – and she was so stubborn. We were convinced she could read our minds. As the eldest, she used to tell me that while she told my siblings she trusted them, it was her job as parent of teenagers not to entirely.

And so I think about all of you in our Strath community with your primary aged children and or your own teenagers in this particular era of life that you and they are in. Some of you are rearing kids while checking on or caring for your own parents and parents-in-law while working to pay mortgages, school fees and the rest of it. The having your own kids under one roof era is very precious even though some days are hard, and it can feel a bit relentless. But they do fly by so quickly and before you know it, those precious children are grown up, graduated, gone from your home and into their own lives and one day, if you are lucky enough, you find yourselves holding a much-loved grandbaby and you realise you are entering yet another era of life.

Marise McConaghy, Principal

Alongside the teaching and learning of a language as a means by which to ease communication and thereby connection with others is of course the building of understanding between different cultures. For that is where the magic happens!

Over the course of this year’s Languages Week, we have seen students and staff come together to celebrate language learning and discovering different cultural aspects of those languages. There has been French crêpes to savour, a staff versus student soccer match (the great international sport!), Chinese ink painting classes, traditional Chinese music to enjoy and of course our famous Languages Week Food Fiesta where students were able to enjoy foods from China, France and Italy. The students also created a wonderful display of HELLOs outside the Knowledge Exchange in all the different languages they know. It was a wonderful way to discover the depth of diversity within the school.

It is such a privilege to be able to ‘fit in’ when visiting another country and to not just be another tourist ticking off sights to be seen on a list. This is what I hope our students learn, along with some adjectives, verbs and nouns and to understand that when you bring them altogether, connect them, they become bigger than the individual elements. They begin to mean something. That ability, along with appreciation for difference, can help to make people from widely different backgrounds connect and find some common ground. Languages Week gives us the opportunity to do just this and remind the students of all the reasons why language learning is so important.

So let’s celebrate languages, cultures - and connection – to keep making this one big world of ours a place of better understanding and acceptance for all.

Virginia Prior, Head of Languages

This term the Angels will continue to provide weekly meals. The roster is starting to fill up, but we always need more parents to provide meals.  If you can assist, please click on the roster link - https://takethemameal.com/MICQ4988

The Angels will be providing three meals per week:

FAMILY 1 – 4 people
FAMILY 2 – 5 people
FAMILY 3 – 1 adult (no sweets or desserts please)

If you are cooking for one of the larger families, please consider adding FAMILY 3 to your roster as it is just one extra person.

THANK YOU TO THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS WHO YESTERDAY HELPED AT THE SFA SENIOR ATHLETICS STALL!

Eleanor and Liya represented Year 9 exceptionally well at the Victorian Parliamentary Constitutional Convention. Debating the issue of whether vaping should be regulated, they spent the day at Parliament House with students from schools around Victoria. It was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and learn more about the parliamentary process.

On Tuesday afternoon we hosted over 100 students from Camberwell Grammar and talked about healthy relationships. Whilst these discussions can be awkward, our teens engaged well and enjoyed being able to hear alternative viewpoints as they shape their own opinions and ideas. 

SOUL Sisters allows Year 9 students the opportunity to mentor Year 4 students and gain credit for their Duke of Edinburgh Award. This week, Year 9 students spent time at Junior School with their buddies. The Tay Creggan girls had devised games and activities for their buddies, whilst the year 4 students gave us a tour which included seeing the new chickens which had hatched. It was a positive and enriching activity - one which we hope to repeat fairly soon.

Camp groups were announced this week and teams have already begun to work together. From the outset, it looks like our groups will have a positive time on camp if their early interactions are anything to go on. You can see a few groups starting their banner designs, whilst others are thinking about slogans, matching team wear and the like. 

Finally, Olivia C and Sharon have represented Year 9 in the Ainger Public Speaking this week. This is an outstanding effort as they compete against older students, gaining great insight into the competition. We are very proud of both girls.

Have a terrific weekend!

Karyn Murray, Head of Tay Creggan

During Camp preparation day last Friday students engaged in a range of activities that build essential outdoor skills, such as campcraft, tent construction, trangia use and shelter building. They also had the opportunity to learn bike riding skills as well as prepare their Duke of Ed logbook to be able to sign off on their Adventurous journey. The importance of Camp Preparation Day for students lies in its ability to expose them to activities they will encounter on Camp in a familiar environment. By participating in these activities, students can build confidence, resilience, and a sense of independence, which can be applied in a few weeks' time.

The importance of Languages Week for students lies in its ability to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of other cultures, improve language learning outcomes, and develop important intercultural communication skills. Our Languages teachers, Savanna Lloyd and Diana Li, worked tirelessly to provide  excellent food choices: dumplings, crepes, pizza, bomboloni, and gelato - a hit at Year 9, as well as some music, films and other language appropriate activities. We thank them for a fun and delicious week.

In our Pastoral time on Wednesday morning, Jayden Batty and Brent from Servants Community Housing visited Tay Creggan to talk about homelessness. Servants is a local organisation, established out of the Hawthorn West Baptist Church, which now owns and runs 4 properties for 96 residents in the Boroondara area. Jayden spoke about why people can be homeless whilst Brent, one of the residents, told his life story and how he came to be living in a Servants home. It was a particularly insightful morning.

When you visit Tay Creggan now, you will see Liza Griffin's (Year 12, 2024) artwork hanging on the Atrium wall. Liza is an extremely talented artist, capturing the Yarra River and our view from the oval. It is wonderful to have a student's artwork on display.

Good luck to the Year 9 performers, musicians and stage crew in Freaky Friday. I am very much looking forward to seeing the production - the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. 

Best wishes,

Karyn 

Our visiting speaker, Gigi Yuen will share her journey from a conventional engineering career to sustainability advocate. With experience in oil and gas, project management, and aviation fuels, she will share her unique story of how her passion for sustainability led her to unexpected opportunities in Victoria's infrastructure projects. She will talk about her challenges, successes, and discuss the importance of leadership and coaching in developing rewarding career journeys. 

Gigi is a qualified mechanical engineer with a passion for sustainability and leadership, with extensive expertise in project management and construction site operations.

GUEST SPEAKER: 

Gigi Yuen, Principal Sustainability Consultant at KBR

DETAILS:

Time: 6pm

Date: Tuesday 16 May 2023

BOOKINGS:

https://www.trybooking.com/CHR...

LOCATION:

Ground Floor, Senior Centre

This seminar will explore the powerful ways parents can, quite literally, influence the strengthening of the brain in ways that will build self-control, emotional regulation, and resilience in their children for life. We will look at the importance of relationship in nurturing self-control, and how parents can strengthen their connection and influence with their children and teens during childhood, adolescence, and beyond.

About the Guest Speaker:

Karen Young has worked as a psychologist in private practice, and organisational and educational settings. She is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant, and works with parents, schools, government bodies, and child and adolescent focused organisations both in Australia and overseas. Karen is the founder of ‘Hey Sigmund’, an internationally popular online resource that provides contemporary, research-driven information on anxiety, parenting, and the neurodevelopment of young people. She has written three books, including the bestselling ‘Hey Warrior’, 'Hey Awesome’, ‘Dear You Love From Your Brain', which creatively assist young people to understand anxiety, feelings, behaviour, and the workings of the brain.

Details:

Time - 7.00pm to 8.30pm

Date - Monday 29 May 2023

Location: 

Featherstone Hall, Strathcona Girls Grammar

Bookings: 

To book, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/CFR...

Bookings are essential

Unit 3 Theatre Studies presents their 2023 play, Metamorphoses. Performances are Thursday May 25 and Friday May 26 from 7.00pm in the Drama Studio. Metamorphoses is a beautiful and haunting play which explores the themes of love and greed.

Ovid’s ancient tales will resonate deeply with contemporary audiences.

Set in and around a large pool of water onstage, the production will create stunning visual theatre. Funny one moment, achingly sorrowful the next, Metamorphoses explores the themes of loss and saliently the transforming power of love. Rippling with contemporary references this mesmerising play is guaranteed to provide food for thought well after the curtain goes down.

Metamorphoses is a beautiful and haunting play which explores the themes of love and greed. Based on a series of Ovid's myths and originally set in Ancient Greece, our production will include contemporary scenes which explore global warming, the obsession with materialism and other pertinent themes to today's society. Song, dance, live music and some beautiful chorus work will ensure this will be a theatrical experience not to be missed.  

Tickets are available via trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/CIHAV