Secondary News
Celebration Evening
A highlight of the last two weeks in the Secondary school has to be the return to the Robert Blackwood Hall (RBH) for our annual Celebration Evening. Not since 2019 have we been at this venue for the event, instead being forced to create a pre-recorded online equivalent that highlighted the many wonderful achievements and accomplishments of our students throughout that year. What a difference it makes to be back at the RBH, to be able to showcase the abilities and achievements of all of our wonderful students to our community. The night is an opportunity to congratulate and celebrate our Year 12 students on their achievements throughout the year, to award subject prizes and special awards to students, including those from Years 7 to 11.
Throughout the evening we were able to showcase the many wonderful talents of our student body through excerpts from our school musical for 2022 The Little Shop of Horrors, videos that demonstrated the many wonderful House and sporting activities completed throughout the year and also the incredible musical talent that many of our students possess, with the Tchaikovsky piece played by Year 8 boy Bohan Liang being an absolute standout. It was a wonderful celebration of what 2022 has been for us as a school and a reflection of the excitement of enjoying a full school year without the interruptions and restrictions due to lockdowns like in previous years.
Year 7 2023 Orientation Day 2
On Tuesday 11 October, Year 7 students for 2023 spent their second transition day on campus. They were led by many of our current Middle School students through fun games and activities, designed to help them begin to feel comfortable within Tintern and to begin the development of many long-lasting friendships. Our current Middle School leaders and volunteers did a wonderful job supporting and guiding the Grade 6s throughout the day, not just helping them connect with each other, but also providing them with the reassurance and excitement about what Middle School will be when they begin in 2023.
2023 Middle School Leadership
Our 2023 Middle School Leadership process has begun with all student applications submitted by our current Year 8s. The current part of their pastoral program in Year 8 has been focussing on leadership and what it can mean, what makes a good leader and how leaders can make a positive impact on others, especially in a school. For those interested in being part of the 2023 Middle School leadership team, the process involved a written application to Mrs Watkins and Mrs Baulch for the position(s) they were interested in being considered for. For those wishing to be part of the leadership team (Captain, Vice-Captain and two School Leaders for both the Girls and the Boys Middle School), it also included a speech to staff and students highlighting their reasons for wishing to be considered as a leader, the strengths they possess that would make them a good leader and also the ideas they have around continuing to develop the Middle School for the students. Voting has been occurring over the last week with the announcement of our new leaders to happen in mid to late November.
Year 8 Academic Challenge Day
On Monday 17 October we had a team of Year 8 students travel to Kingswood College in Box Hill to participate in an Academic Challenge Day with a number of other schools. The day consisted of eight categories: General Knowledge, English, Engineering, Science, Public Speaking, Art, Poetry, Maths and Code Breaking. Almost 100 students participated from eight schools including Penleigh and Essendon Grammar, Sienna College, Ashwood High School, Scotch College, Kingswood College, Waverley Christian College and Luther. Students were combined in mixed school groups which provides a great way to connect them with each other, to meet new people and to also connect with other like-minded peers.
Year 7 and 8 Debating
Wednesday October 19 was the first of three ‘friendly’ interschool debating events for current Years 7 and 8. It is a part of an introduction to competitive debating that involves training and practice, and helps prepare students for involvement in the DAV debating competition that is available for students in Years 8 to 12. We had 24 students participating in four teams against other schools from our region. All students acquitted themselves very well indeed, speaking for 3-4 minutes on either the affirmative or negative side of the topic “That smoking and vaping in public should be banned”. Our success was mixed, with two teams winning their debate and two teams being narrowly defeated. All students enjoyed themselves and we look forward to their next debate on November 9.
Years 7 and 8 Philosophy Workshop
A Years 7 and 8 Philosophy Workshop took place on Wednesday 19 October. This is an inter-school event, which provided students with an overview of some key areas of philosophical thought including theory of knowledge, metaphysics, ethics, morality and logic. Students engaged with their team regarding the fundamental questions of existence, and worked together to construct frameworks upon which individual and societal understanding and morality can be based. The event was not a competition, but rather students worked as teams to solve hypothetical problems and logical conundrums. Twenty-first century learning skills including critical thinking, collaboration, communication, information literacy and flexibility were required by all involved. Students left the workshop with a deeper knowledge of the world of philosophy and thinking skills which they can transfer into many areas of their academic studies.
Anthea Watkins | Middle School Co-ordinator
Year 11 Geography Trip
On the 20 and 21 of October the Unit 2 Geography students headed down the Great Ocean Road for an extended fieldwork study investigating the sustainability of tourism in its current forms on the world’s largest war memorial. Students gathered data on the demographics of tourists at different sites, current management practices and gained firsthand experience of the main tourist honey pots along the road. When they return to School, students will be collaborating to compile a rich shared data resource which will inform their writing of an industry standard report on their findings. Tintern Grammar is a nationally recognised leader in geography fieldwork and the reports from this trip promise to well and truly do justice to this reputation.
Naomi Baulch | Senior Geography Teacher, Head of Geography
Congratulations Naomi Baulch
We are very proud of the work of our Teachers at Tintern, in the classroom and their contributions to advancing research in their chosen fields. We congratulate Naomi Baulch for the recognition of her VCE Fieldwork by Geography Teachers Association Victoria (GTAV).
Naomi created a Unit 3 Geography Fieldwork Resource on Fishermans Bend – Montague Precinct Focus. This study forms part the VCE Unit 3 Geography study design. Naomi is Head of Geography, Senior Geography Teacher and Years 7 and 8 Boys’ Co-ordinator at Tintern Grammar.
Community Fun Day
On Saturday 22 October we held a Community Fun Day on campus from 1pm to 6pm. The event was aimed at substituting for our School Fair which was unable to run this year due to the restrictions in place last year preventing the planning and preparation of that event. With the inclement weather that was occurring throughout the week leading into our Community Fun Day, there was concern that we would be washed out; however, the organising committee and School Executive chose to continue with the day despite the forecast, and it turned out to be a great choice. The early morning rain had cleared by lunchtime and it turned out to be a wonderful day for everybody. There was a large number of families who attended, enjoying many fun games and activities for their children, including bungee-trampolining, train rides and mini-golf to name a few. We had sheep and chickens from the farm for children to play with, an ice-cream van and plenty of hot food. Our guests were able to spend time outside having fun with those activities, as well being able to move inside our CM Wood Centre where they were treated to some fantastic performances by our students on stage. It was a wonderful day for the community and I would like to thank all staff, committees and family members who helped to plan, organise and run the day.
Poetry Competition
We celebrate the diverse creative talents of our students. Recently three of our Year 10 students Jasmine, Ellie and Luan submitted outstanding pieces of poetry in the Independent Schools Victoria, Arts and Learning Festival, Student Poetry Competition 2022. In this high-standard competition our girls were awarded Honourable Mentions for their poetry. Last Friday, they were presented with the awards. Congratulations!
Mathematics Talent Quest
The Mathematics Talent Quest (MTQ) is a unique competition in which students choose their own topic and explore its mathematics. Tintern has a rich tradition in this competition and 2022 was no exception. With fascinating projects ranging from the mathematics of inbreeding to the Moneyball phenomenon. A special mention goes to Elijah who received a High Distinction, presented to him by the Mathematics Association of Victoria at the IMAX Theatre in Melbourne.
Australian Mathematics Competition
This year on 3 August, we had around 140 students sit the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC).
The AMC is an engaging 30-problem competition that demonstrates the importance and relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives; it is open to students in Years 3 to 12. Our results were fantastic with a large number of students achieving outstanding results. For all of the students who sat this challenging competition, they deserve huge congratulations as this is a significant achievement in itself.
15 students achieved High Distinctions – Years 7 to 12
High Distinction = Top 2% of all participants
55 students achieved Distinctions.
Distinction is the next Top 18% of participants.
