WELLINGTON JOURNAL – EDITION 18

Awards Night
We had a triumphant return to Robert Blackwood Hall on Tuesday for our Annual Awards Night ceremony. After three years absence due to the pandemic, a large audience assembled for a night of celebration and to share the success and achievements of so many of our students. I could not have asked for a more fitting finale for my last Awards Night as Principal and I thank all members of the community who gave me their best wishes and thanks. It is certainly very humbling.

Most importantly, our students excelled:
– There were stunning musical performances by Hayley and Robyn Sadler, Jordan Masip and Harper Towers, and the various group ensembles who performed throughout the evening.
– The student leaders spoke with dignity and genuine voice highlighting the key events of each sub school.
– It was a pleasure to see so many smiling and proud faces of the students who presented on stage when receiving their academic, sporting or service awards.
– And finally, a big congratulations to the Year 12 cohort in attendance – to join me on stage, to sing the College Anthem for the last time, and to exit as one at the end of the night.

Photos from the evening will be available in the next edition of the Journal.

AM Fogarty Award – 2023
This award is the highlight of every Awards Night, as it is the highest Award the school can bestow, to a student who has demonstrated excellence in their academic, sport and service over their 6 six years at Wellington. It is named after the foundation Principal the late AM (Gus) Fogarty. I could not have been more delighted to present the 2023 AM Fogarty Award to Victoria Nikolaou. This caps off a stellar career for Victoria, especially through the Performing Arts – and her final performance of “Let It Go” was an incredible full stop on that career. I sincerely congratulate Victoria, and indeed every other student who performed or received an individual certificate or award on the night.

Year 12 Exams and commencement of Unit 1 and 3, 2024
Most exams have now been finalised and we have commenced our Senior School VCE Units 1 and 3 for 2024. The program will run until December 1. As always, the work is documented on COMPASS, under the School Documentation and Student Resources tabs. I strongly encourage any student who has not been able to attend the commencement program to access these resources as soon as possible.

2024 College Booklist
The 2024 College booklists are now available, please refer to the newsfeed that was sent out earlier in the week by Marina Stergiou. Orders are placed online via Campion and close on Wednesday December 13, 2023 to guarantee delivery prior to January 25,2024. Orders can still be placed after the due date; however, stock availability cannot always be guaranteed. If you have any questions, please contact the General Office.

Mr Hugh Blaikie
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Before School Basketball

In Term 4, Before School Basketball has taken off with Mr Smithett opening the Southern Gym from 8am-8:30am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings before classes begin. Numbers have continued to grow each week as more and more students (and some staff!) are finding it a great way to start their day with a few shots with their peers!

The program aims to foster school connectedness for students, strengthen staff and student relationships and provide a fun and inclusive opportunity where everyone involved gets to be part of a team environment and increase their daily physical activity amount. This will continue for the remainder and is open to all Year 7-10 students.

Mr Cory Smithett
Health & PE Teacher

Year 7 Martial Arts Incursion

Last Thursday 16th November our year 7 students had the opportunity to participate in a Martial Arts Incursion as an enrichment of their studies of Ancient China in Humanities.

Two masters in Wushu attended the college sharing their knowledge of Martial Arts with students and running them through a variety of defensive moves and footwork. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with a deeper cultural understanding of an element of Ancient Chinese society outside of the classroom.

A huge thankyou to all the staff that helped make this event possible for students.

Ms Katrina Antoniou
Head of Humanities

We participated in the Year 7 Martial Arts Incursion. This helped us learn about defence as well as many moves of Kung Fu! This experience taught us many things. Personally, we really enjoyed this incursion because we got the chance to learn about Chinese culture. This program was very fun since as there were many physical activities. Therefore we hope in the future we get to learn more about Martial Arts!

Jessica Phung and Utthama Urupelew Gamaralalage
7B

The Martial art incursion is interactive and very entertaining! The teachers from Cultural Incursion instructed us to do basic Kung Fu techniques like moving forward, backward and left and right, and protecting your body from ongoing attack. After that, we used the technique on our partner and it was very intriguing. My favourite part is we did a ‘U’ shape and attack our partner surprisingly. Overall, we learned a lot about self-defence and maybe we could apply it whenever we are in a vulnerable situation.

Quan Thai Doan
7B

It was fun, Ms Formosa had excellent blocking skills.

Nyalueth Thuch
7B

Today we did martial arts in the gym. It was fun and I watched Nyalueth partner with Ms Formosa. Afterward, we studied it back in the classroom.

Harper Towers
7B

Monash Tech School – Superspace

On October 23-24, our young scientists of Year 7 worked with Monash Tech School to explore their abilities applying hands on activities in different fields of Science in the MTS Superspace program.

The Superspace program introduces students to STEM concepts and the skills required to journey across the galaxy. Students used design thinking and creativity to design spacesuits tailored to a specific space brief. This involved prototyping and problem solving processes that allowed them to combine science, engineering and mathematics in a hands-on manner.

Mr Radha Kollipara
Science Teacher

‘I am Mindful’

Over the past four Wednesdays, a group of students had the opportunity to attend mindfulness workshops held by the “I Am Mindful” team. The workshops were mainly based on techniques and tactics to control our emotions during difficult interactions. 

Attending the “I Am Mindful” workshops was a transformative experience. As we gathered in a serene space, guided by the calming tones of the facilitator, we embarked on a journey of self-discovery. Through various mindfulness exercises we learned to control an awareness of the present moment, fostering a sense of inner peace and clarity. The workshops provided a unique opportunity for personal growth and reflection, as we shared our experiences and insights with one another. Surrounded by a supportive community, we went into the importance of mindfulness in navigating the challenges of daily life. 

The workshops were an extraordinary experience and I am more than grateful that I could attend them. The newfound awareness and techniques learned during the workshops have become valuable tools for navigating tricky situations. I find myself approaching challenges with a fresh mindset and calmness, all thanks to Ms Birrell and the “I Am Mindful” team.

Thank you

Harkiran Ghai
8L