NEWS
Edition 5 – June and July 2020
Contents 2
Principal’s Say
2 In defence of the humanities Big Changes at APC 4
A new Arts Hub
5
A modernised Lakeside Campus
6
Danks Street Refresh
6
New look lockers at Danks Street
7
STEM upgrade
8
Makerspace revolution
9
A transformed Library
10 Introducing APC Partnerships and Fundraising Co-Curricular 11 A new student-led publication 11
Shoes of the future
12
Hospitality Club Junior Leader
13
Introducing the Wurru Wurru Sustainable Schools Alliance
14
APC Families
15
Financial Assistance
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NEWS
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Important Dates
Principal’s Say
Thursday 25 June Last day of Term 2 for students, dismissed at 2.10pm
Hi everyone. We’ve made it through the most difficult term in the ten-year history of the APC, and done it with style. We managed to move from classroom learning to online learning and back again without falling behind in any curriculum areas. Most students coped extremely well and those who found it more difficult can now get back to learning in the usual manner.
Friday 26 June Staff Professional Development day Monday 13 July First day of Term 3 Thursday 16 July Senior Years Expo
While APC’s tenth-anniversary celebrations have been affected by the pandemic, there’s a lot going on to mark the year. Most notably, some big upgrades to our facilities, which are outlined on the following pages.
In defence of the humanities During the past week an issue has arisen which is of great importance to the college as a whole and to our senior students in particular—the proposal by the federal government to more than double fees for the study of humanities and social sciences subjects at Australian universities. The college feels compelled to comment. As educators, we welcome the decision to lower the fees for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. We of course think it is right to encourage young people to pursue careers in these exciting fields. But we also think the implication that the humanities are less important or involve bad career choices is wrong. As you will know, APC has been a champion of the humanities from the start. History, English, languages, economics, legal studies, art, music, dance and other humanities and creative subjects have always had a central place in our curriculum. Why? There are three main reasons. First, because our community places great importance in these disciples. We designed our school around the wishes of local parents who told us how much they valued academic breadth and creativity. Second, because these disciplines provide crucial skills our students need to succeed in the workplaces of the future.
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We strongly support the STEM disciplines—and are currently investing heavily to provide our students with the very best facilities in these areas. But it is a fallacy to think that these are the only forms of knowledge needed today. To succeed, our young people will need to be creative, to think deeply, to be entrepreneurial, to understand innovation, to appreciate other cultures and have high-level communication and interpersonal skills. The last thing we should do is provide young people with an overly technical education that gives them a narrow and shallow range of skills that may well be out of date a decade from now. And the third reason we emphasise the humanities is because we want to educate global citizens who are able to question the world around them, contribute strongly to our democracy, and help solve the big social, economic, political and environmental problems facing their world. All modern educators, including people like Sir Ken Robinson, understand the crucial importance of the humanities. And I know that my sentiments are shared by all school principals, who understand that giving our students humanities-based knowledge and skills not only creates more rounded young adults but produces high academic results, providing entry to excellent university courses and careers. All high achieving schools value the humanities strongly. There is also a patent unfairness in the decision to double the price of humanities degrees. Senior students typically make decisions about what subjects to specialise in, in year 10 or 11. To spring these changes on students in year 12, after their university course decisions have been made, is to hit them with a double whammy, especially given the interruptions to
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their year 12 caused by the pandemic. At APC, we value equally all intellectual and technical endeavour, and will be just as delighted to see our alumni (the first group of whom are still at university or just starting their careers) become tomorrow’s writers, historians, philosophers, actors, dancers, musicians and artists as we will be to see them become leading physicists, chemists, medical researchers, doctors, software engineers and mechanics.
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We are also of course eager not to discourage potential teachers from majoring in disciplines like history, literature and art, which will always be needed. Our advice to students is to not allow these proposed fee increases (which have not yet been confirmed) to discourage you from pursuing your interests and dreams once you finish school. We want to encourage parents to continue to support their children to choose the subjects that interest and fascinate them rather than making those decisions based on cost alone. Steven Cook Foundation Prinicpal
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NEWS
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BIG CHANGES AT APC A new Arts Hub
First round funding of $12.5 million for the new Community Youth Arts Hub adjacent to the Gasworks Arts Park has been confirmed and we are now pursuing second round funding, with a view to getting work underway before the end of this year, starting with remediation of the land and a full architectural design. As well as creating new performance and rehearsal space for our drama, dance and music students, it will include new classrooms to take more pressure off our other campuses.
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BIG CHANGES AT APC
A modernised Lakeside Campus Since the start of 2020, year-8 students have been enjoying a day per week dedicated to aquatic sports and leadership training at our newest centre, Lakeside Campus, based on Albert Park Lake. The college is currently developing new plans with our partners on the Lake to create a Sailing Precinct with dedicated classroom spaces that can be shared with the existing yachting, sailing and boating clubs. We’re looking forward very much to being part of the Parks Victoria’s planned rejuvenation of Albert Park Lake and working with our friends to upgrade aquatic sport facilities the whole community can enjoy. Very few public schools can offer sailing and boating as part of their Albert Parkand Sailing Clubhouse & great Museum regular curriculum we’re extremely excited by this opportunity.
New roof form visually unifies existing shed forms
BBQ Pavilion
Double height museum window Public boardwalk
Proposed Improvements The new museum showcases the history of sailing and the lake.
Six Degrees Architects
Albert Park Sailing Precinct NEW PLAY AREA
NEW SAILING MUSEUM
SEA SCOUTS
ALBERT PARK SAILING CLUB
AUST. SAILING + CAFE
BOAT STORAGE
10
June 2020 SAILING TRAINING + EDUCATION FACILITY
MUlLTI FUNCTION SPACE
PUBLIC PAVILION 2x PIERS
ADDITIONAL BOARDWALK
STARTING BOX
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The design strategy is to keep the existing gable-roofed boat house forms and to construct a second storey addition over the adjacent boat storage yards. The existing and new concrete boat yard walls provide a strong horizontal plinth upon which the upper stories perch. Floating over all of these second-storey additions is a distinctive serrated roof form that collects rain water and visually unifies the many structures. The new club house with a museum dedicated to the histories of the sailing clubs and the lake in the foyer will proudly showcase memorabilia and boats to the passing public. It presents as a two
storey picture window and focus for the promenade. The clubhouse will comprise sufficient area for the amalgamated club members, the “Port Lounge,” committee Room, Members Rooms, Kitchen, Change Rooms & Toilets. The ground floor will comprise Entry, Foyer, Museum and BOH as well as boat storage. The new first floor Sailing Training and Education Facility will be designed for up to 100 sailing trainees and school students and will host the largest sailing training program in Victoria. It will consist of classrooms, outdoor teaching deck, change rooms, and amenity.
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June 2020
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BIG CHANGES AT APC Danks Street Refresh
It’s hard to miss the big improvements going on at Danks Street. Ten years on, we want to make our main campus as fresh and appealing as the day it was opened. As you read this, all classrooms are being repainted and recarpeted and fitted with new environmentally efficient lighting, heating and acoustic materials. There will also be new study spaces and benches, especially for our senior students, as well as major redevelopments of our STEM classrooms, Makerspace and Library.
New look lockers at Danks Street The thing that will first hit students when they enter Danks Street next term will be their new lockers. We’re replacing the old, white lockers with bright new yellow ones. There will be three main benefits. First, every student will have their own locker. As the school’s enrolment has increased, some students have had to share lockers—this will be no more. Secondly, because they are lower, the new lockers will open out our classrooms to the courtyard, giving classrooms a lighter and roomier feel. And third, the tops of the new lockers will accommodate indoor plants to add to the health and beauty of our classroom spaces. We’ve put together a timelapse video of the installation and the students using the space for the first time for you. Click below to play.
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NEWS
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BIG CHANGES AT APC STEM upgrade
We can now show you what the upgrade of the new STEM classrooms will look like. The idea is to replicate the sorts of learning spaces our students will be using once they start at university and TAFE. There will be a new dedicated physics space for senior science students, pods for the conducting of safe experiments, an emphasis on solar power and battery storage, and spaces for display of student scientific posters—as occurs at university science conferences.
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NEWS
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BIG CHANGES AT APC
Makerspace revolution In line with the world of manufacturing, our new makerspace will have a different feel to the rest of the Danks Street campus, with a rawer, edgier, and more industrial design and colour palette. It will involve opening up the western end of the campus where a recycling centre will be created to provide the raw materials for our studies of environmentally-sustainable, no-waste futuristic manufacturing.
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BIG CHANGES AT APC A transformed Library
Our Library has always been one of the most appealing parts of Danks Street, where students can congregate for quiet study, chess games and club meetings. Our aim is to make it even better by transforming it into a dedicated study centre all year levels can enjoy. This is going to involve an expansion of the Library floorspace, book-lined classroom spaces, and street-facing carrells where those essays and assignments can be finished. Our senior humanities students have a dedicated study space at Pickles Street, and the new-look library will provide the same study environment for our STEM students.
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NEWS
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BIG CHANGES AT APC
Introducing APC Partnerships and Fundraising My name is Reny Massoud and I am the parent of a Year 9 student at APC. I have been a member of School Council for the past two and a half years and I facilitate the Partnerships and Fundraising function for the college. I have worked as a senior executive in business development roles, in areas ranging from executive education, learning and organisational development, to health and the community sector (specifically with the welfare of young people). With a bachelor’s degree in Social Science and postgraduate qualification in Business, I am passionate about education and, of course, our great school. I feel very fortunate to have my child attending APC. APC’s goals for our facilities are as ambitious as our goals for our children. As this edition of the newsletter details, several large projects are currently underway, including the upgrade of our Maker Space and STEM Centre, and the Community Youth Arts Hub adjacent to Gasworks Park. Another project you will be hearing about soon is an environmentallythemed outdoor education campus in the Victorian countryside. Watch this space.
maximise their learning. There are ways you may be able to help above and beyond making a donation. For example, you may be able to procure discounts or provide goods and services that the college needs— like solar panels and equipment for our Maker Space and STEM Centre. In 2019, a parent who works for a major IT company was able to facilitate networking and cybersecurity solutions for the school at no cost. Another APC parent, employed by Telstra, successfully nominated APC for a Telstra Kids Project grant, which he then matched in equal value. Monetary donations from parents or grandparents are, of course, just as welcome and would be received with deep gratitude. In these uncertain times, any contribution will be doubly appreciated. If you would like to join the Partnerships and Fundraising Committee, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me at reny.massoud@me.com. To make a financial donation to APC, please contact our wonderful Business Manager, Kim McMahon, at kimmcmahon@albertparkcollege.vic.edu.au. All donations to APC are tax deductible. Reny Massoud Head of Partnerships and Fundraising at APC
We’d like your assistance with our development plans. If you are looking for a way to contribute to advancing APC’s goals or have a particular area of interest, I would like to encourage you to become a part of the Partnerships and Fundraising Committee. As a volunteer role, the time commitment is entirely up to each individual and with the growth of the committee, responsibilities are shared across the group. Parents within our school community have a wealth of knowledge, skills, networks and resources that can support the development of our facilities, enhance our students’ experience of the school and BACK TO CONTENTS
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CO-CURRICULAR
A new student-led publication One of the successes of remote learning through the pandemic was the creation of new outlets for student information in the form of The Huddle and the revival of The Anchor. In an innovation led by senior students, in Term 3 these publications will be merging to provide a cool new social media channel for the students to communicate with each other. We want to encourage everyone who wants to write, report, create art and photography and get creative with social media to get involved. Students will be receiving information about it soon.
Hayden Gold
Shoes of the future This term, year 9 Visual Communication students learnt about the world of product design and the purpose of creating a concept product. They were asked to work within the constraints of a design brief, whilst maintaining a sense of creativity and innovation, to produce a concept product of their own. Students were inspired by the film Back to the Future and the famous self lacing shoes worn by main character, Marty McFly. In reference to this iconic design, students were asked to select an animal with a remarkable ability and design a futuristic shoe that would give the wearer the same superhuman skills.
Joe Stacy
These works are a small selection of the creative and futuristic designs students came up with after completing weeks of research, designing and refining. Prepare yourselves for the next generation in shoe innovation! Well done to all students! Paige Lammin Creative Endeavour Coordinator Roxy Diamond
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CO-CURRICULAR
Hospitality Club Junior Leader Introducing our third Junior Leader, Queenie Main in year 8, with a reflection about time in isolation. Why did you join the Hospitality Club initially? Originally I joined the hospitality club as a lot of my friends were doing it and it seemed like fun. I also love cooking so I decided to join. How have you found the experience of our weekly meetings during isolation? I haven’t been able to join the meets as I have piano on at that time but they sound like so much fun! Have you enjoyed cooking during this period of time and why? Yes I have been cooking so, so much during isolation — sweets and mainly lunches. It’s been so much fun using the recipes the club has been posting. What has been your favourite thing about our club during this period of time? Being able to have a choice about what you want to cook and giving me loads of recipes.
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CO-CURRICULAR
Introducing the Wurru Wurru Sustainable Schools Alliance (WWSSA) At the beginning of 2020 a memorandum of understanding was signed by the Principals of Albert Park College and Albert Park Primary School with Albert Park Kindergarten to mutually pursue environmental responsibility through the founding of a sustainable schools alliance. Receiving its name from the traditional custodians of the Albert Park region, the alliance unites students, staff and parents under the expert guidance of the City of Port Phillip sustainability team and Jaeden Williams of the Boon Wurrung in pursuit of carbon neutrality and reconciliation through land care.
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Want to know more about who’s behind WWSSA? Listen to the vision of WWSSA in this podcast with APC School Captain Oscar Pearce and Albert Park Preschool Coordinator Jenny Whelan here. Learn more about the state of sustainability in the City of Port Phillip from Brett Hedger, Sustainability Officer here. Brett is an expert advisor to the WWSSA an can help businesses and individual households in the City of Port Phillip on their own sustainable journey. Learn more about Brett Hedger’s partnership with Albert Park Preschool to become Australia’s first carbon neutral Kindergarten on ABC’s 7.30 here.
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APC FAMILIES APC Families
Term 2 went online for APC Families and it’s hard to remember life before we’d even heard of Zoom! It was lovely to be able to use Zoom to catch up with new and familiar faces at our Friday virtual coffees – not as good as the real thing, but we still managed to chat. We even held the APC Families AGM and a committee meeting online, but we’re looking forward to meeting back in person soon. APC Families is made up of all parents and carers at APC. Our aim is to create positive connections between parents and the APC community. One of the enjoyable aspects is the opportunity to meet new families, so if you’re new to APC and would like to meet other parents, please get in touch. Or if you’d like to get the occasional email from me letting you know when a help roster is put up for an event, or when committee meetings are on (usually in the pub and hopefully back there soon) then please email me on apc.families@gmail.com.
Anyone is welcome to join the committee any time and if you’d like to know more about APC Families, please ask any one of us: Rebecca George (President), Philipa Gleeson-Payne (Vice President), Teena Lawrence Brown (Second Hand Uniform), Julie Christopher-Costa (Trivia Night), Trudy Rice (Art Show), Gill and Dave Armstrong (Anglesea Camp) and others including Angela Gillespie, Elena Kurepina, Julie Pryma, Mark Wild, Pammie Moonlight, Gretel Kirwin, Susana Ferreira, Sharon Kuhnell. As restrictions ease during term 3 and 4 we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like APC Families to organise — coffees, social drinks, events etc. What we can do is a bit up in the air at the moment, but we’d love some ideas on what might work — enabling us to connect while minimising risk. Stay safe and look forward to catching up in person soon! Rebecca George APC Families President
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School Insurance and Liability Information Parents and carers are reminded that the Department of Education does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents and carers of students who do not have student accident insurance or ambulance cover are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance or transport and any other transport costs. Parents, carers and students are reminded that any private property brought to school by students, staff or usurers is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE INFORMATION FOR PARENTS Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes. CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF) School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors, excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works and sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are part of a healthy curriculum.
HOW TO APPLY
New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from www.education.vic.gov.au/csef
The annual CSEF amount per student is:
If you applied for the CSEF at your child's school in 2019, you do not need to complete an application form in 2020 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred: new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools in 2020 or you did not apply in 2019. changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2020.
• $125 for primary school students
Check with the school office if you are unsure.
CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.
• $225 for secondary school students
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the CSEF visit www.education.vic.gov.au/csef
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