PRISHA ANAND – Academic and Applied Learning Leader
This term, we celebrated Australian Education Week for the first time at MSJ! To begin with, on 1 August, we had a Maths and Science trivia! It was a great competition, testing everyone’s knowledge and encouraging everyone to win by using their knowledge on these subjects.
On 2 August, we focused on English and had a debating competition on a surprise topic, perfect for all debaters. The topic was ‘should mobile phones be banned in schools’? which turned into a heated debate about the benefits and downsides of the mobile phone ban. It was great fun and certainly encouraged all debaters to show off their skills!
Following this, on 3 August, there was a Humanities scavenger hunt! This involved students searching for the hidden lollies and chocolate prizes around the school, on the basis of clues related to different countries. It was exciting to see how many students participated in this and were able to find some prizes, which everyone really enjoyed, especially those who enjoyed the treats afterwards!
Lastly, the week finished off with a focus on Technology, particularly Food Technology. This was for students to bake their own chocolate chip cookies! This was a great opportunity for participants to display their cooking skills, whilst also enjoying the cookies they baked and created a great deal of excitement to celebrate learning!
Overall, Australian Education Week was a great success and created an amazing opportunity for all students to demonstrate and celebrate learning across different learning domains.
ALICE IMMS – Co-Curricular Leader
This term, students across MSJ have had the opportunity to participate in “House Challenges” as a final chance to snag some house points in the race for House Cup which will be awarded at the end of term. This has allowed students to compete in various challenges against their classmates to win points for their house within their year level.
Beginning with Year 8’s in Week 3, the students have participated in catered activities of all varieties including sports, academics and various games to build house spirit and have had lots of fun each week. In Week 5, the Year 12’s participated in a ‘nostalgia kahoot’ to send them back to their childhoods, ahead of closing the chapter on their schooling at the end of the term.
These activities have been kindly organised and run by the Senior SLT House Leaders with the support of Ms Simcic, and will continue to run until the end of term, giving all the students the opportunity to participate.
As well as this, Cardio Tuesdays, run by the Year 11 VET Sport and Rec class, is still running each week of both this term and Term 4, which involves walking laps of the school oval or other activities to increase your cardio fitness, and earn house points for the House Cup.
CGSAV sports will also continue to run within the term and have included:
JADE NEARY – Sustainability Leader
This year, as part of a new sustainability initiative, we introduced MSJ Climate Action Month!
Throughout the entirety of August, there will be an array of events and workshops for students to get involved with, in order to raise awareness and promote sustainable habits to support our environment.
To kick off the event, on 1 August, we hosted a glamorous sustainable fashion show during recess. Students showcased their creativity by repurposing single-use items, such as rubbish bags and newspapers, into stylish clothing pieces. Then, at lunchtime, we sold over 30 indoor flower plants to MSJ students and staff, offering a simple way for our community to care for the environment.
In week 2 of our Climate Action Month, MSJ Blackout Day commenced, a day with no lighting, no heating and no cooling. Students were permitted to wear a jacket or alternative winter attire over their school uniform for a gold coin donation in the spirit of Julian Tennison Woods and his devoutness to sustainability during JJAMM Week. Stay tuned for the upcoming Best Plastic-Free Lunchbox Competition in week 3 of August and the "Make Your Own Biodegradable Slime" workshop in week 4!
Additionally, our MSJ garden has been receiving amazing refurbishments, including the wonderful inclusion of fairy lights hanging over our produce planted last term, as well as hanging plants. Furthermore, Youth in Action members have been working hard to design, sketch and paint our very own signage to hang around the garden – keep an eye out for when they are hung up!
A big thank you to all those involved, especially to our amazing MSJ maintenance team members, Akhil, Brad and Mark.
BELLA FIUMARA – Ministry Leader & DELANEY CALDER – Social Justice Leader
MSJ students and staff have participated in the St. Vincent De Paul Society's 'Winter School Sleepout' for the past seven years, raising awareness for Australians facing homelessness. And, after two years of remote Sleepouts, we were finally on school grounds on Friday 14 July. We collected an incredible number of sanitary products and winter items for Vinnies. And we have currently raised over $1000 which will go towards on-ground support for people experiencing homelessness across Victoria. The Cost is Right game, Period Packages with written positive affirmations, Homelessness Kahoot, Build a Shelter through Bartering and DIY fleece blankets as a keepsake; were the five workshops we participated in on the night. We also shared some soups and bread for dinner perfect for the frosty night. And concluded the evening with the fantastic Netflix movie ‘All Together Now.’
The night's success was only possible thanks to the enthusiastic students who attended and the assistance from MSJ staff. I'd like to thank in particular Ms Severi, Ms Bushell, Mr Lavery, Ms Stafrace, Ms Bettiol, Ms Dishon, Ms Bourke, Ms Doering, and Ms Simcic.
KATE LAVERS & ZARA CURTIS – College Captains, BRIDGET MUNRO – Wellbeing Leader & KESARA BROCAS-RETI – Arts Leader
The 2023 Grandfriends Afternoon Tea was a lovely celebration for the wonderful grandfriends that support and mentor our Year 7 students. This year, the theme for World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated in the days prior to this gathering, was “His mercy is from age to age”. This emphasises the need for a relationship between the elderly and the young, where the first pass on wisdom, life experience, strength and hope for the future.
The Grandfriends Afternoon Tea was a roaring success with stories, advice, tea and scones shared. We all heard from many students how delicious their grandfriends’ cooking was, from birthday cakes to lasagna! Giving our students the opportunity to honour and thank their grandparents and those special grandfriends for the vital role they play in their lives was a privilege for us to be a part of. There is certainly so much love within our MSJ community for all of our grandfriends.
Thank you to all the Year 7’s and Grandfriends that were in attendance who made the afternoon tea a lovely environment filled with love, acceptance and comfort. The event is only successful if the people in attendance come with an open mind and open heart.
