APC Newsletter Edition 3 2022

EDITION 3 - MAY 2022

THE SCHOOL THAT ROCKS

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ANZAC COMMEMORATION AT LEMNOS SQUARE On Thursday 21 April, the famous Hellenic Presidential Guard visited the memorial statue in Lemnos Square to participate in a special Anzac Day commemorative service. The event was organised by the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee on behalf of a long list of Greek community organisations. APC is proud of its continuing links with the Greek community of Melbourne which is a major part of the heritage of South Melbourne and Albert Park.

UPCOMING DATES TUESDAY 3 MAY Year 9 to 10 Parent Information Evening 40 Bay St 5.30pm - 6.15pm - A-K 6.30pm - 7.15pm - L-Z WEDNESDAY 4 MAY Voice Evening 5.30pm - 6.30pm Drama space, Danks St campus THURSDAY 5 MAY Open Day 2pm - 6pm Students dismissed at 12.20pm MONDAY 9 MAY Drums and & Percussion Evening 5.30pm - 6.30pm Drama space, Danks St campus

WEDNESDAY 11 MAY Piano Evening 5.30pm - 6.30pm Drama space, Danks St campus

TUESDAY 17 MAY Year 10 information evening 5.30pm - 6.30pm Drama space, Danks St campus

TUESDAY 10 MAY Year 10 Immunisations

Debating Grade competitions Bright Grammar school Commences 4.45pm

Brass and Woodwind Evening 5.30pm - 6.30pm Drama space, Danks St

TUESDAY 24 MAY Year 9 Seniors information evening 40 Bay St campus 5.30pm

FRIDAY 13 MAY Year 7 2023 enrolment applications due

Annual General Meeting Library - Danks St 7pm - 8pm

SATURDAY 14 MAY SEAL Information session 10am - 11.30am Danks St campus

10-20 MAY Years 7 and 9 NAPLAN

16-19 MAY Year 11 OED camp

WEDNESDAY 25 MAY Professional Practice Day This is a student-free day 25-27 MAY STEM camp FRIDAY 27 MAY SEAL registration close

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PRINCIPAL'S SAY

A BUSY EIGHT WEEKS AHEAD Madeleine Campbell Acting Principal

Hello everyone. As some of you will already know, our Foundation Principal, Steve Cook, is having a well-earned break this term. The last we heard, his yacht was tracking north along the eastern seaboard, destination Magnetic Island. We wish him well and know he will come back full of fresh ideas for APC. I’m acting in the principal’s role for Term 2 and looking forward to eight weeks of purposeful learning and exciting extracurricular activities in which we will be unveiling yet another lot of fantastic new facilities.

OPEN DAY One of the most significant days in our entire school calendar is our annual Open Day, which is taking place this Thursday, 5 May. It’s our chance to show local primary school pupils and their families the wonderful facilities and learning environment we have at APC as they weigh up their enrolment options for next year.

Our new STEM Centre is sure to be a hit, especially its collaborative learning space and theatrette. We will also be putting on display the work of our students, which is always a huge wow factor with visitors.

After two years of lockdowns, it will be a pleasure to meet prospective families face to face, answer their questions and show them around.

For the first time, we will open four of our five campuses for Open Day, which involves a lot of time and effort from many people. So a huge thank you to the staff and students who are giving up their time to prepare the school, meet the families and act as guides.

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Year 7 students Summer (left), Holly and Ewan give their horses a breather at Glenaladale.

For those who haven’t yet seen our award-winning campuses, including Studio 120 in Bay Street, I encourage you to do so. They are quite amazing.

6000 REASONS TO SAY THANK YOU I want to thank also everyone who participated in our parent-teacherstudent day near the end of Term 1. Giving everyone feedback and encouragement about their learning is one of the most important things we do as a school.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE WILL OPEN FOUR OF OUR FIVE CAMPUSES FOR OPEN DAY, WHICH INVOLVES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT FROM MANY PEOPLE. SO A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE STAFF AND STUDENTS

It’s also a huge job – involving almost 6000 appointments across 25 learning spaces and two campuses. We had incredibly positive feedback from our parent community, so thank you.

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PRINCIPAL'S SAY

CAMP PROGRAM HITS ITS STRIDE Camps are a valuable part of learning as they offer students the chance to experience stunning parts of Australia while pushing them out of their comfort zones.

We successfully completed four camps in Term 1 - a year 12 Outdoor Education camp, two horse riding camps and a year 9 Land and Water camp.

Our camp program is now ramping up and locations this term range from the Murray River to Lake Eildon and the science attractions of Canberra.

Once it’s again safe to do so, we will be resuming our fantastic overseas expeditions. Stay tuned.

As a school, we’d love to get feedback from parents about their childrens’ experiences when they get home.

NAPLAN ON THE HORIZON Shortly, students in Years 7 and 9 will be tackling the annual NAPLAN assessment.

For the first time, they will be doing so online.

NAPLAN is one of many tools we use to gauge individual student’s progress against state averages and the data we collect is invaluable for tailoring teaching resources to each student’s needs, to address things they don’t know or extend them further.

While we ask all students to give the tests their best, it’s nothing to get stressed about.

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Acting Principal Madeleine Campbell (left) chats to Acting Assistant Principal Kate Merakis at the Danks St campus last week.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW MADELEINE? APC’s new acting principal Madeleine Campbell was born in Melbourne and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science.

She is one of the college’s four assistant principals and is responsible for professional growth. Madeleine has been at APC for eight years, having come from our sister school VCASS. Favourite music?

Would it hurt my music credibility to say I like Taylor Swift? She’s a great song writer and an incredibly strong businesswoman.

Favourite TV shows?

I like murder mysteries and shows with a bit of drama. That’s definitely NOT Married at First Sight.

What do you read?

I’ve always loved to read but I was finding I was reading less and less as work commitments grew, so last year I set myself the challenge to read 30 books.

I achieved that, so this year my target is 32. So far, I’ve read 11. Trent Dalton is a favourite author.

Best way to relax?

I love relaxing at the beach but I have a three-year-old so that’s not easy.

Best part of your school day?

Walking around the campuses and feeling the energy and enthusiasm in the classrooms.

I love the quiet hum of learning. This is an incredible, passionate, fantastic place to learn and work.

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APC COMMUNIT Y

STUDENT LEADERS RECEIVE THEIR BADGES

A special group of students were presented with their leadership badges and a certificate in a special ceremony just before the term break.

In front of their proud parents, college captains, portfolio leaders and ambassadors were recognised.

At the ceremony, which took place at the Drill Hall in Bay St, Alyssa SeckingerCrow gave a speech outlining the importance of leadership.

“It is so exciting to see all of you talented students here tonight and for your parents to celebrate all that each and every one of you contributes day in and day out to our school community,” Alyssa told the audience.

“I certainly know that we have an extremely strong group of leaders here tonight, and from working with many of you I know that the year has hardly started and we’ve already achieved so much and have so much more planned for the year to come.”

As well as praising her fellow school leaders, Alyssa said it was important to think beyond what they could achieve at school.

“It is important to acknowledge that what we as leaders do goes beyond our school actions,” she said.

Alyssa finished by congratulating her fellow leaders.

“I look forward to seeing what each of you brings to our school this year, and well done again on stepping up to the challenge. Keep being amazing leaders,” she said.

READ ALYSSA’S SPEECH IN FULL HERE ►

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School captain Alyssa Seckinger-Crow addresses the school leadership team at the badge ceremony. Those who received their badges and certificates from Foundation Principal Steve Cook included Findlay Guy and Erin William (below), and Alexander Dahlberg (bottom).

ALYSSA ENTERS FEDERAL DEBATE As well as School Captain, Alyssa is also chair of APC’s Sustainability Subcommittee, and she marked the first day of Term 2 by addressing a political forum in the electorate of Macnamara.

The forum, organised by the Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network (PECAN), questioned local candidates on their policies and views on climate change and energy.

As everyone in the college will know, Alyssa is a passionate fighter for sustainability, and her speech represented the views of many students.

So what did she tell the forum? “[Students] can make a difference, yet the structural change must also come from policies on a national scale.,” she said.

“I see inspirational young people all around me, but I wish I could see more inspirational adults and politicians not just talking about making a difference, but actually making it.”

READ ALYSSA’S SPEECH IN FULL HERE ►

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OPEN DAY 2022 5 MAY 2-6 PM

ALBERT PARK COLLEGE OPEN DAY Please join us at our Open Day 2022.

You are most welcome to attend the day, join a guided tour, peruse displays and talk to our staff and students.

Open Day takes place at our Main Campus at 83 Danks St, Albert Park 3206 Foundation Principal Presentation 5 pm.

Attendees must be vaccinated. Mask wearing is recommended.

SELECT ENTRY ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM (SEAL) In 2023 Albert Park College will provide a Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program for Year 7 students who have exceptional academic ability. This program offers students the opportunity to undertake challenging learning experiences that are tailored to meet the needs of students of outstanding academic achievement.

Inquiries regarding the program should be directed to College Reception on 8695 9000.

SEAL Information session: Saturday 14 May 10 - 11.30am

83 DANKS ST, ALBERT PARK 3206

Registration for the testing program closes Monday 27 May 2021 and can be found at https://aus.edutest.com.au/

5 MAY 2022, 2-6PM

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APC COMMUNIT Y

HELP US CREATE A WORLD-CLASS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

Excitement continues to build following the formal launch of APC’s funding campaign to raise money for the new Victorian Youth Arts Precinct.

The precinct, which will be built on the corner of Pickles and Richardson streets in Gasworks Park, will be a world-class venue that APC’s young artists can call their own. A place dedicated to developing the creative abilities of performers and the creative industry professionals of the future.

footprint and help restore biodiversity to a neglected, semi-industrial corner of the park.

For example, the design aims to retain the majority of the existing gasworks structures on site and repurpose them. As well as minimising material consumption, it places a value on the embodied energy already associated with these existing structures.

Once completed, the precinct will be managed by APC and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.

However, the cost to fit out such a worldclass precinct will be significant. That is why APC and VCASSS are seeking the support of the school, business and arts communities to raise $5 million.

The project has gone to tender and construction will begin later this year.

All donations will be gratefully received and are fully tax deductible.

The design, by Graham Burrows of award-winning firm Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, incorporates a range of green principles to address its energy use, reduce the precinct’s carbon

To learn more about this amazing project, or to donate, click the button below.

THE DESIGN INCORPORATES A RANGE OF GREEN PRINCIPLES TO ADDRESS ITS ENERGY USE, REDUCE THE PRECINCT’S CARBON FOOTPRINT AND HELP RESTORE BIODIVERSITY TO A NEGLECTED, SEMI-INDUSTRIAL CORNER OF THE PARK.

ALBERT PARK COLLEGE ARTS PRECINCT ►

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STAFF AND STUDENTS

SCHOOL CONFERENCE 2022

At the start of April almost 150 APC teachers and staff gathered for a weekend conference at the RACV Club in Healesville.

Why creativity? There are several reasons. It expands students’ intellect, contributing to the ‘high-challenge, high-demand’ ethos of the school.

After having to cancel the event for two years due to the Covid pandemic, it was great for the school to assemble for this important professional development event.

It engages students by making learning more interesting and enjoyable. It’s also more satisfying for teachers when they see their students develop their creative faculties and strike out in interesting directions.

This year’s theme was creativity. A list of guest presenters from the creative industries impressed upon teachers and staff the crucial role played by creativity in engaging students and developing their full learning potential.

Several teachers also presented on the best classroom methods to make learning more creative.

Foundation Principal Steve Cook said the conference was to remind teachers of the central importance of creativity to the school’s approach to learning and to encourage them to always ask ‘how can I be more creative and innovative in the classroom?’

Added to this is the fact that creativity is so important to students’ future. In our fast-innovating, high-tech world the most interesting, rewarding and indemand careers now require a high level of creative ability.

Increasingly, success goes to those able to combine knowledge, imagination and innovation to create new products and think of new ways to solve big problems.

At APC, we already try to be creative in everything we do. A great example is how we have written our own school musical rather than simply performing one written by someone else.

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Teacher Tanya Alers (above) was among the staff who enjoyed the guest speakers and creativity sessions during the two-day conference.

We’re now aiming to bring this approach to everything we teach, from English, to technology, science and mathematics.

As Steve Cook says, creativity is the thing that makes education so exciting and important.

And the conference not only encouraged creative teaching, it brought our staff room together in a wonderful team and culture building event.

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APC COMMUNIT Y

OUR SCHOOL IS ABUZZ WITH ACTIVITY

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Students celebrate the success of Ride 2 School Day.

RIDING INTO A GREEN FUTURE At the end of Term 1 our incredibly socially aware students held a highly successful Ride2School Day and a No Uniform Day. The former saw a significant increase in the number of students riding, walking and catching public transport to school and the latter raised $760 for UNICEF Australia’s campaign for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

The environment club and the hospitality club hosted the Ride2School Day, which aimed to promote and celebrate efforts to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

According to Environment Student Leader Anindo Minifie, more than 85 per cent of students chose an active and sustainable way to travel to school.

“This represented an 11 per cent increase in the number of people walking to school and a 5 per cent decrease in car usage, compared to a survey taken on the day,” Anindo said.

“This is a fantastic result thanks to the efforts of the whole school community.

We hope we can continue to improve and work towards our goal of becoming a resource-smart and carbon-neutral school.”

Climate change and the war in Ukraine are the biggest issues of the day and we’re proud of our students’ engagement with the world.

BANDS ROCK THE COURT YARD Band Fest happened again in the last week of Term 1, giving our best bands the chance to play in front of their friends.

Those who saw it – and those who heard the loud event – had a great time.

SADDLING UP FOR A BUSH ADVENTURE A four-day horse riding camp at Glenaladale in East Gippsland was an unforgettable adventure for Year 7 and 8 students in Term 1.

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Gus (top) and Libby and Mia (above) were among the students rocking the school during Band Fest.

The students had to look after their own horses for the four days, learning how

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APC COMMUNIT Y

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French junior extension class members Louis Scott (left) and Louis Hessel with their award.

to brush, tack up, feed and ride them.

The work was physically demanding, and they rode every day, rain, hail or shine.

They also had to cook their own meals, so the extra special treats laid out for Tilana Todd’s birthday celebration were a welcome addition to the menu!

The camp was so successful that the students didn’t want to leave their horses behind!

The camp was one of two horse riding camps that took place in Term 1. A Year 12 Outdoor Education camp and a Year 9 Land and Water camp were also great successes.

WHO TAUGHT WHO A LESSON? It was an intense grudge match when teachers tackled students in a fierce netball clash last term. While both sides claimed a moral victory, the final score remains a mystery.

A BIG BRAVO Bravo to the keen students of French Extension classes who came regularly through Term 1 - even on the last week - after so many assessments. They were rewarded for their efforts!

Classes, which were intense fun, work to help students consolidate and expand their knowledge in a friendly atmosphere.

It’s also designed to motivate them more than ever to go to France to enjoy the wonderful aspects of that country apart from its language - the history, the gastronomy, the culture, the arts and many more points of attraction.

The world will belong to those determined students who will become accomplished globetrotters one day!

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LIBRARY NEWS

CLUB INSPIRES NEW READERS

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Year 8 student and Library Club leader Maia (centre) with club members (from left) Sofia, Thy and Qian-Yi.

Our Library Inspire Club has been in full bloom over the past few months with a new group of budding readers coming together to talk about all things books.

As a group we have decided that every second Monday we will head to Gasworks Park to sit, relax and listen to an ePlatform audiobook together.

By predictably popular demand the first one we will listen to is Harry Potter, read by Stephen Fry! For now, this will take the place of the Walking Book Club activity. All other Mondays will continue as a discussion about a short story.

We would also like to introduce our new section in the library, which is a space devoted to LGBTQIA+ books and has already proven popular with students of all ages (left).

A reminder that the 2022 Premiers’ Reading Challenge (PRC) is in full swing.

To participate, students must complete at least 15 books by 2 September and tally this reading on the PRC website.

Students were emailed their individual log in details and instructions on 5 April.

Please email library@albertparkcollege. vic.edu.au to receive these details again. $1 for every book recorded on the PRC website will be donated to the Australian Red Cross, with thanks to the Rotary Club of Albert Park. So far, 240 books have been completed, so keep up the great work!

If anyone would like to join the Library Inspire club, please meet us in the library at 12.30pm on Mondays or send us an email: library@albertparkcollege.vic.edu. au

As always, we encourage people to send us their book recommendations by filling out this form.

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SUSTAINABILIT Y IN THE SCHOOL

BEACH PATROLS MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP

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A BeachPatrol group hard at work cleaning up St Kilda beach.

Through the Da Vinci Project, Year 9 had the opportunity to work with Ramona and Ross from the BeachPatrol organisation.

The year-9 students worked on analysing the environmental damage caused by the community at Princess Pier, Sandridge Beach and Port Melbourne Dog Beach.

Using gloves and a garbage carrier, the students were able to collect plastics, glass, miscellaneous rubbish, soft plastics and much more.

Thanks to their enthusiasm and determination, each class was able to collect a whopping amount of rubbish.

The students either manually recorded their collected data, or directly added their information into an app called LitterStopper, which allowed us to calculate in total the enormous amount of rubbish we collected.

If a plastic-free beach sounds pleasing to you, you can volunteer via the website: www.beachpatrol.com.au

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ART NEWS

FASHION ON THE RED CARPET

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Our fashionistas show off their great work.

THE STUDIO 120 CAMPUS WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A VIBRANT FASHION VENUE AND WELCOMED STUDENTS VIA RED CARPET FOR AN EVENING FULL OF FASHION AND FUN.

Our year 9 and 10 Textiles students have taken part in two exciting events to learn about the fashion industry and gather design inspiration for future projects.

Most recently, our year 10 Textiles students attended the Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Firstly students attended an exclusive screening of the Graduate Runway presented as part of the Melbourne Fashion Festival.

Students explored a vast collection of clothing, jewellery and accessories and learnt about the history of one of the world's most iconic fashion houses.

This event featured the final year collections of the top performing fashion design students from across the country.

We hope to take part in even more fashion and textiles events as the year continues!

APC’s creative arts hub, the Studio 120 campus, was transformed into a vibrant fashion venue and welcomed students via red carpet for an evening full of fashion and fun.

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STUDENT SAFET Y

IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT STUDENT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP ZONES DANKS ST CAMPUS DROP-OFF ZONE We would like to remind all parents and carers of the importance of student safety when dropping off students in the morning and picking them up in the afternoons.

To the left are maps outlining the approved student drop-off and pick-up areas for both the Danks and Pickles St campuses.

As well as risking the safety of pedestrians and other road users, vehicles double parking at Danks St and stopping in Pickles St may be fined by City of Port Phillip parking officers.

The “Kiss & Go” drop-off and pick up zone is adjacent to Foote Street Park in Danks St (as indicated in green).

PICKLES ST CAMPUS DROP-OFF ZONE

The drop-off and pick up zone for students is in Richardson Street at Gasworks Park (as indicated in green).

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