Term 4, Week 7, 2023 17 Nov 2023

Our Year 10 and 11 exams start today and our VCE exams finished yesterday. Congratulations to all of our students participating and completing these examinations. Our lucky Year 3s have returned from their overnight camp on Wednesday at Queenscliff – we hope they have had a fantastic time. The Year 2s also had their first overnight camp at school last Friday evening. Congratulations to our Year 9 Drama students who performed in a successful play last week: Children of the Black Skirt.

Today, we have our 2024 Year 7 Orientation Day which is always a busy and rewarding day. We look forward to meeting our new Year 7s and greeting our Year 6s from the Junior School. Plus, our Preps to Year 2s have their Swimming Carnival.

Next week, in the Junior School we have the Junior School Summer Concert and the Year 3 and 4 Production. The ELC are beginning their Christmas celebrations. The Senior School are busy with PAF rehearsals and Headstart beginning – finishing the week with our Senior School Swimming Carnival. Both are big events and a lot of fun for all.

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate Lisa Miller, Head of Junior School, on being named as an Educator’s Hot List recipient. This was awarded in recognition of the Junior School’s successful development and implementation of our new reporting model. We are proud to have her expertise contributing to the excellence of our school community.

As we navigate this busy period, I appreciate the collective efforts of our staff, students, and parents. Your commitment to the educational journey of our girls is valued. We look forward to an exciting next few weeks.

Tracy Herft
Acting Principal

International Studies students completed their ethical tourism unit by running travel agencies where all of Year 9 voted for the most creative agency, the most knowledgeable travel agents and a range of other awards. 

We also wrapped up the Term 4 Social Entrepreneurship unit with groups of students pitching their ideas to address many of our world's current climate issues. Five groups pitched their ideas to the whole year level - everything from ways to tackle fast fashion to fitting carbon converters to long haul trucks. Our winning group's idea centred around saving the Kakapo, an indigenous New Zealand flightless bird on the cusp of extinction. Congratulations to Alice, Stella T, Tab and Olivia C for their winning ideas.

We also celebrated our talented Drama students with the Year 9 Play "Children of the Black Skirt". Dealing with such a difficult and complex script, the year 9s involved acquitted themselves very well under the direction of Head of Productions, Ms Claire Johns.

Our Final High Tea for the year took place yesterday, with Mrs Narelle Cameron's Food tech class delivering delicious treats to their family and friends. This concludes Mrs Cameron's 10th year in the Tay Creggan kitchen, although she will teach many students next year in Food Tech at Main School. You will also see photographs below of Bella C and Tab's rings that they designed and produced in Creatives Art classes this term.

Finally, we were proud to see Zoe L and Ava M, assisted by Humanities teacher Savanna Lloyd, represent Year 9 in the Remembrance Day Service at Main School on Monday. In the midst of studying World War One history, the students spoke about the impact of soldiers' letters being sent home and the Armistice on Christmas Day. It was an excellent speech and one which was a reminder of the sacrifice of many people.

As we look forward to exams next week, we have been gratified by the number of students preparing thoroughly and taking opportunities such as Maths Help and Homework Club. 

A reminder of the Parents Coffee morning on Thursday 7th December from 8.30-10am. Feel free to drop in for a final time at Tay Creggan.

Best wishes,

Karyn 

The Hot List highlights the outstanding work and research of individuals in the education sector recognising their work as best in the industry ensuring students and families have the highest educational experiences possible.

Lisa’s nomination included the successful development and implementation of a new reporting model that awards goals and achievements based on the National Literacy and Numeracy Progressions. This new model was developed with School Box and Strathcona Girls Grammar Junior School was co-creator and pioneer. The program aligns with the School's goals of developing learner agency, automating reporting, engaging families in learning, and increasing teacher efficiency.

The Christmas season is about Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. I try to remember to breathe deeply at this time year and remember that Hope, Peace, Joy and Love are what life is all about!

In Churches, across the world, on each of the four Sundays before Christmas, we light a candle to remember Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. On Christmas day we light the Christ candle in the centre of the Advent Wreath.

At Strathcona, we are working on ways to encourage our students to think 'deeply' and love one another and ourselves. In our final Christmas Assembly, we will take up an offering for our Baptist World Alliance Sponsor Children in Africa. Any donation of coins or notes will go towards supporting the education of three girls who without our support would not be having an education.

Close to home, we have our New Community Clothing Donation Bin near the Staff Car Park. Your wonderful donations are taken to be sold by Chaplain Bron Arnott’s Church Op shop. New Community Baptist Church actively supports many people who are struggling to make ends meet in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

And even close to home, Strathcona is going to help save our environment and give money to these and other causes by participating in the new (CDS Container Deposit Scheme). We will be encouraging students and staff to recycle plastic and aluminium containers from within the school into our new recycling bins near the canteen. The money that we raise by doing this will help support people in our local community and international charities.

Finally next Wednesday 22 November, we invite Christian parents who are free to come to our last Prayer Meeting at Tay Creggan. We will gather from 8.30 am onwards to eat, pray and enjoy time together. Don’t be shy – if you are free and want to pray we would love you to join us!

Rev Janet Costello & Bron Arnott

We also learnt about how sometimes, we, as humans, often choose the easy and quick path or decision rather than the right decision, as well as living with an 'attitude of gratitude', where instead of thinking about what we don't have, we should focus on the many opportunities and privileges that we do have as students of Strathcona. We talked about things we were grateful for, and many people mentioned that they were grateful for their family, their friends, their teachers. However, what stood out was the amount of people who recognised their gratitude for the opportunities they had, and how they knew that they were really lucky to be able to pursue their passions, whether it be sport, music or art. This assembly was a beautiful one and I'm sure most of us learned at least one thing about faith, hope, love and gratitude.

By Sophie Ng (7A)

School is a formative part of our lives and a celebration like this forms memorable, impactful moments. A Centenary partnership includes your business in this, with our audience. Partnerships will be celebrated at events throughout the year and broadcast through our diverse range of digital and print channels.

Join Marshall White Real Estate, Driver Bus Lines, Comp Now, HBK, Southeastern Cleaning and Dobsons in Partnering with Strathcona in 2024.

For your 100 Years Partnership Information Pack, please reach out to Eliza Goding, Head of Philanthropy on egoding@strathcona.vic.edu.au or 8779 7589.

Eliza Goding
Head of Philanthropy

Our guest speaker was Rebecca Andrews, alumnae from 1997, who spoke about her career and life journey since leaving Strathcona. Bec’s address was entertaining and most interesting but also brutally honest. You can read Bec’s bio by clicking here.

We would like to thank parents Jade O’Shea and Sophie Smith for assisting with the organisation of the lunch as well as a number of families who kindly donated raffle prizes: Painting (Kim Kennedy past parent); Personal styling voucher (Lise Allen); Summer pack from Warran Glen Garden Centre & Café (Fiona Taylor); voucher for lunch or dinner at Puttanesca in Kew (Grossi family); Beautiful millinery piece (Sinéad Howard); voucher Orrong Hotel (Sophie Smith); Coldflow Heating and Cooling Penfolds Hamper (Patricia Dodd); Koko Black Advent Calendar (Jen Aitchison); 2 x MKO Hampers (Kavita Gupta).

Proceeds from the raffle will assist with the restoration of the Strathcona Roof Top Garden in conjunction with a major donation from the Strathcona Family Association.

Planning for the 2024 lunch is already underway so mark Friday 1 November in your diary!

They are currently in the Summer Season, and are five rounds in. The season finishes at the end of Term 1 next year.

If interested, please email - operations@canterburycougars.com 

• Dates to Diarise in Term 4
• Accessing VCE Results 2023
• News from the University of Melbourne
  - New Narrm Scholarship Program
  - Studying Biomedicine or Science
• Gallipoli Scholarship
• Doxa Cadetship Program
• Deakin College pathways to Deakin University
• 2024 VCE Summer School Programs
• Useful Tips for Successful Interviews
• Occupational Therapy Degrees in Victoria in 2023
• Snapshot of Whitehouse Institute of Design in 2023

Please click here for the full edition of Career News.

Xin Chen
Head of Careers and Pathways

We hope to see many of you there to toast a successful year and friendships!

No need to pay now but please register here just for numbers.

If you have any questions, please contact Bec on 0431 151 682.

See you there!

Only $30 per person, so book your ticket here so you can wander along and join the fun.

For further information please contact: Chris Howell (0417 168270), James Macdonald (0437 078825 or Patrick Un (0421 743288).

We hope to see you at this final event of the year!

Tickets are $25 per person, which includes shared pizzas and a drink on arrival. Additional drinks or snacks can be purchased from the bar. To book please click here.

We hope to see many of you there to toast a successful year and new friendships!

If you have any questions please contact Jane on 0409 886 166 or Bianca on 0439 084 780.

There are different pudding and sauce flavours to select from which all sound delicious!

Orders must be in by Wednesday 29 November 2023 and will be available for collection from either Main School or Tay Creggan on Thursday 14 December 2023.

Please click here to order.

Gingerbread House Kits (order separately)

Also, gingerbread house kits available - delivered directly to your door! Fun for all the family! Please order online separately via this link – https://www.gingerbreadfolk.com.au/collections.

Enter code: GOSTRATHY to receive a 5% discount on all gingerbread items.