The end of Semester 1 has come around very quickly due to such a short Term 2 this year. Despite the brevity, it is amazing to think about how much we have been able to put into such a short term and the last few weeks have been no exception.
Year 9 -11 Exams
Our Year 9 – 11 students completed their Semester 1 examinations over the week beginning Monday 29 May. These examinations are an important part of their educational journey as they provide our students with: the challenge of facing such assessments; developing their planning and preparation techniques to perform their best; being best prepared for these assessments when in Year 12. For our Year 9s it was their first proper examination experience within the CM Wood Centre and to their credit they handled the situation very well. The same situation will occur at the end of Semester 2 following our Year 12 VCAA examinations. It is important that each student spends some time over the coming holidays reflecting on how they went in their respective examinations, their revision processes and approach to these formal assessments.
Hump Day
During the examination week our Year 12s celebrated their ‘Year 12 Hump Day’ which is the approximate middle to their Year 12 journey. With the 10s and 11s in examinations, they had the Senior College to themselves and were able to enjoy a day of fun and celebration in and amongst their regular timetables. This included wearing pyjamas for the day, a beautiful hot lunch put on by the School, as well as some fun games and Kahoot activities. It’s little events like these that help to make Year 12 a memorable experience and to give them a small break from the hard grind. They are also currently being sized up for their Year 12 hoodie which will be available to them later this year.
Giving Day
On Thursday 8 June we held our first ever Tintern Giving Day aimed at raising funds to develop a self-sustaining Tintern Grammar Scholarship Fund to support students who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend Tintern. At school we had a number of our bands playing in random places within the school including at the bus bay to welcome everyone as they arrived at school. There was a sausage sizzle at lunch and other activities that helped to raise both awareness and to raise some money. As a school we are incredibly grateful to our wonderful community who have helped us to reach our desired target and even go beyond it. This fund will help provide the opportunity for some to benefit from a great education here at Tintern; however, are not in the position to afford it. Thank you to everyone once again for your support.
Big Freeze
On Friday 9 June we held our annual Big Freeze assembly. This is in support of the Big Freeze Campaign aimed at helping to bring awareness to, and finding a cure for, motor neuron disease. Our leaders have been selling the MND 23 beanies over the last few weeks and then during our Principal’s assembly on Friday 9 June we conducted our annual ice bucket challenge. This involved a number of staff and students who dressed up in costume being covered in a bucket of freezing cold water and ice. Again, the support by our community for such good causes highlights the strong sense of care and unity.
Year 9 Showdown
Our Year 9 showdown is always a highlight in our calendar, especially for our Year 9 students and staff. The program is designed to help bring our girls and boys together even more as they progress toward their entry into our co-educational Senior College. The activity runs over approximately 6 weeks and has our students working in their House groups (their Senior College pastoral groups in 2024) on a dance routine connected to a particular theme. The students lead the entire program, choreographing their routine, designing flyers to promote their House, creating a video that highlighted their lead-in experiences and designing any related costumes. The start to the program presents challenges in terms of creating a sense of healthy competition among them and ensuring that all students are engaged in the activity. However, by the day of the event the rivalry is at is maximum. Each House is absolutely determined to win, but more importantly, they are having a very good time in the process. It brings them all closer together, whilst also raising awareness for Beyond Blue, the organisation they raise money for. A big thank you to Ms Lowing, Mr Kenny and the Year 9 pastoral staff for their involvement in this year’s House Showdown. Congratulations to Dann Watt for taking out the win in 2023.
Battle of the Bands
Another highlight in the calendar for staff and students is our annual Battle of the Bands. This is where students from across all year levels form their own bands and register to compete in the Tintern Battle of the Bands. They spend 5 – 6 weeks preparing for the event, rehearsing during any spare time they have, hoping to be ready for their performance on the day. This year, the quality was exceptional once again. We had 6 bands this year; consisting of Year 12s students, bands with a mix of year levels, and even bands made up purely of Year 7s which is so great to see. There are two categories each year: Middle School and Open Division. This year the winning groups in the two categories were:
Middle School: The Spice Boys, who performed “Don’t stop believing”.
Open Division: Black Out, who performed a rock medley including classic songs from old school favourites like Bon Jovi.
It was a fantastic event that provided a great sense of fun for both the performers and for our audience.
Guiding Your Future
During their Senior College years (and even throughout Year 9), students and families are provided with ongoing support and guidance around careers and different career opportunities available to them. This includes information around subject choices in coming years, different pathways available to them and opportunities that will be available to them after school. On Tuesday 6 June we held our ‘Guiding Your Future’ evening for our current Year 9 and 10 families. This event was online and provided information related to specific subject selection processes, the potential of accelerating VCE subjects, the important acronyms and their meanings like VCE, VCAA, VASS, ATAR, etc. It also included information on universities, TAFEs and the workforce. This event will be followed up by specific year level assemblies and our Senior College Subject Showcase on July 18 next term.
Work Experience
In theme with their future career planning, our Year 10s are currently engaging in a week of Work Experience this week. They spend the week experiencing what it will be like in the work force and hopefully develop a sense of direction toward a particular career. We have students working in some fascinating areas such as law firms, nano-technology, plumbing, childcare and so much more.
Semester Reports
Over the coming holidays the semester-based reports will be made available to students and families. Despite all major assessments having already been published, it is still important to spend time as a family reflecting on their semester and looking to set themselves goals for Semester 2. What is important is for students to be looking at their Learning Behaviours across all subjects and looking at aiming their goals to be around improving this aspect of their reporting. Success in the future will be connected to their level of effort and their attitude to learning; hence the importance of using the Learning Behaviour rubric to set self-improvement goals.
I wish all families a safe break over the coming holidays. Our first day of school for students in Term 3 is Tuesday 11 July.
Brett Trollope | Head of Secondary
History – Year 9
The World War I History unit is a much anticipated area of study at Year 9. This semester long subject examines the path to war, the progress of the conflict and the impact both at home and abroad. Students particularly enjoy connecting deeply with the Australian perspective on the war, examining the conflict through contemporary maps and battle plans, artefacts and diaries, recruitment posters and imagery, poetry and art, to develop a deeper understanding about the variety of soldier and civilian experiences and impacts of war.
The Year 9 classes ventured to the Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda to round off their journey with a focus on how Victoria remembers and commemorates the Great War and all subsequent conflicts. One special aspect of the Shrine tour was the opportunity to handle original artefacts and learn more about the stories of three Victorians impacted by the conflict. We could not have been prouder of the way the Year 9 students listened with respect and engaged with the tour guide.
Speaking up at Tintern
In May and June, three students embraced the opportunity to enter external public speaking competitions, entering the VCAA Plain English Public Speaking Award and Rostrum Voice of Youth.
On Wednesday 17 May, Zara Jansz (Year 11) and Tiombe Davey (Year 12) attended Aquinas College to participate in the regional heat of the VCAA PESA competition. This prestigious event has been running for more than forty years and is open to all Victorian schools. In their six-minute prepared speeches, Tiombe spoke on the damaging effects of the pandemic on the mental health of adolescents. Zara’s speech outlined the perils of forced marriage, arguing it is a reality that has been swept under the carpet in Australia.
In addition, both were required to deliver an impromptu speech with only five minutes to prepare. This year’s was the phrase ‘Practice Makes Perfect’.
Tintern was also represented at the recent Rostrum Voice of Youth heat held on Sunday 31 May at Mount Scopus. In the Senior Division, Zara reworked her speech on forced marriage, this time expanding it to eight minutes and tailoring her ideas to the topic ‘A Voice for the Voiceless’. Himandee Jayaratne (Year 8) entered the Junior Division, speaking on ‘Behind the Lens’, which she linked to raising awareness of the vulnerability of women reporters around the world. Himandee won her heat out of nine entrants from several schools, advancing to the next round, where she was also required to deliver a short-notice speech.
Congratulations to Tiombe, Zara and Himandee, all three eloquent and bold speakers who committed to the task of researching and preparing for their events with enormous enthusiasm.
More Tintern students should consider public oratory. Being able to speak well and communicate effectively for a designated audience and purpose are skills that can be learned. Public speaking enhances confidence and develops poise, both of which are essential and prized attributes for young people as they enter the world beyond school.
Here is what the girls had to say about their experiences:
Tiombe: Taking part in the VCAA Plain English-Speaking Award was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to grow and develop my communication skills and provided a unique opportunity to listen to the voices of fellow students. This Award challenged me to go beyond the standard oral presentation in the English curriculum, adopting new skills like quick and fast thinking for impromptu speeches. Being involved opened my eyes to the breadth of social issues and enlightened me in a way I didn’t think was possible. Most importantly, this opportunity has provided me with increased confidence and assurance in my capabilities, whilst also providing an avenue to share my ideas on an issue that hits home: mental health.
Zara: I loved researching the topic, asking friends and family their opinions which guided me where to add and improve points. The topic of forced marriages is something I am extremely passionate about which hopefully brought further awareness to the issue. I was able to take note of how other entrants portrayed themselves and told a story. You will always learn something new by listening to others. It really matters how you present yourself; if you stand there idle with your cue cards the audience wouldn’t want to listen to you. People are listening to your speech for the first time, so the delivery of your voice matters a lot. I never knew that once I stood up in front of the crowd, gripping my cue cards, you transform into a focus state. You know your material and make eye contact with everyone in the room, I didn’t know I was capable of this. I used to be terrified of public speaking, yet I have grown to love it!
Himandee: The Rostrum Public Speaking Competition was a wonderful way to extend my public speaking skills, and knowledge of the world. I learnt I am capable of presenting speeches on topics which I am passionate about to the community, and that I can think on my feet. Overall, this experience pushed me well and truly out of my comfort zone, but it extended me, and helped me learn so much about the world, and myself.
Please speak to your English teacher if you wish to become involved.
Jennifer Johnstone | English Teacher
