Issue 4 2023

Issue#4 | 2023

Welcome

Welcome back to Semester 2.

I hope that students, staff and families have been able to take some time to rejuvenate after a busy, productive and rewarding Semester 1.

The term ahead contains many firsts and lasts for our community. Students new to the College this year will enjoy many activities in our annual calendar for the first time. Of note will be PAC (Performing Arts Competition) Day, which is the final day of the term. Between then and now, there are many wonderful opportunities ahead. Our College Musical ‘Oliver Jr’ is being performed this term, our Jacksons@Braemar restaurant dinners are back with musical entertainment from our talented students, our sporting competitions continue with outdoor and indoor sporting competitions being undertaken, and of course, the overseas and international trips commence in the September holidays with young people jetting out to Far North QLD, Lilla (in the NT) and Cambodia.

It is also the final semester of our Year 12 cohort’s school educational journey. This group of young people are encountering many ‘lasts’, but some firsts. At the end of the term, they will climb the stairs of the Braemar House tower and sign their names amongst the many signatures, some of which date back to 1914 and include Dame Elizabeth Murdoch and her daughter Helen who both attended Clyde School.

So, please enjoy this mini-Buzz as we bring a variety of stories from around the College, and we hope that you find some warmth to ward off the winter chills in the stories.

Mr Russell Deer Principal

As the year progresses, I see more of the “identity” of the Middle School come to life. It has been so pleasing to see activities like the rehearsals for Oliver! Jr, House Chees and Art, Do it For Dolly Day and World Environment Day span students across the College, from Years 5 to 12. In saying that, we continue to work on defining the experience for each student in our Middle School, identifying the important aspects of age and stage appropriate learning experiences.

This term, there have been hundreds of students involved in Inter-School sport, competing in the Macedon Ranges competitions, Western Ranges Division competitions and even students who have been successful beyond these organisations. As a Middle School, teams performed brilliantly in Football, Netball, Cross Country and Soccer in addition to our Year 7 and 8 students competing in Orienteering for the ICCES competition. We also wish those competing in the ICCES Winter Tour all the best for their journey to Shepparton at the end of term.

Beyond the classroom, our students in Year 5 enjoyed a 3-day experience at Sovereign Hill for their Exeat Program. The praise for their involvement and approach to the experience was overwhelming and it was such a pleasure to be able to share some time with them panning for gold and wandering the streets of Gold Rush Ballarat.

Our Year 6 students recently ventured to the Victorian Parliament to learn about the roles of our state officials and engage in a mock experience of Question Time. It was great to hear that we have some future MPs in our midst who spoke passionately about some of the important issues facing our state.

In Year 7, the focus of learning for students in their first year secondary school has centred around learning about ourselves, others and our role in our own educational journey. Students have engaged in sessions with Elephant Ed around relationships and Elevate Education with a focus on time management.

The Year 8 Experiential program continues to evolve and encourage students to draw connections between their learning experiences in the classroom and activities beyond the gates of the College. Throughout the term, students have travelled to Bendigo TAFE and La Trobe University to explore future career pathways, spent a day in the CBD investigating the life of characters from their Encounter text ‘Runner’ and also started planning a self-driven community service initiative.

Earlier in the term, we welcomed prospective families to Woodend to share information about life at the College. Along with our Middle School Captains, our College Captains spoke about their experiences of being a student and their advice for future generations. One prospective parent asked, “what makes Braemar College different from other schools?”. I was particularly taken by one of the leaders responses, which talked about the relationships between teachers and students being so much more rich and rewarding than they had experienced in other settings. With that in mind, I encourage all of our Middle School students to spend some time considering how they can continue building a sense of connection with their teachers. Our leaders mentioned that they wished they had done this earlier in their time at the College as once they realised the importance of seeing teachers as partners in their learning, their own experience at school and their capacity to learn flourished.

I trust you all have had a safe and restful time away and look forward to seeing everyone at the beginning of Semester 2.

Mr Rob Jenkins Head of Middle School

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”

As students have now concluded Semester 1, I would like to acknowledge the many different activities students have worked on and completed though out a very busy start to the year. From athletics and cross country, House art and chess, Exeat, College balls, formals, excursions, lunch time activities, mental health initiatives such as the Push up challenge, interschool sports competitions, subject Information sessions and excursions name a few of the things senior school students have completed thus far. These varied experiences both within and beyond the classroom provide students truly unique oppitunies for growth and development at the college.

The conclusion of the semester has also seen Semester 1 reports released at the end of Term 2. Reading these reports show the insight that many of our students have, not only their academic endeavours but also the links between their outcomes and effort. I would encourage students and parents to take time to review these reports and acknowledge the many successes students have demonstrated. Prior to next semester, Students are encouraged to also review their Learning Attitudes and Competencies, as these help to provide insight into areas students can continue to develop as learners within class. I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the teachers and staff who work to support the students within Senior school during this time. Should you have any questions, speaking to the subject teacher or your child’s tutor in the first instance is encouraged.

As the students prepare for their next semester, I respectfully remind students of the importance of setting good routines and practices to assist them with their organisation for, and within class. Students should practice and establish the discipline required to support positive habits to be successful. This can be seen within a wide variety of settings such as the classroom, through to following the correct the uniform policy. It is a balance between valuing students’ choices while also learning to support the College and being respectful in following the uniform policy particularly. The importance of having sound practices assist students to ensure the interactions they have with their teachers daily can be positive and focused on learning. Finally, I wish all students and families a very safe and restful break in preparation for a busy Term 3.

Ms Lisa Fritz Head of Senior School

Sport Update

The new term has many upcoming sporting events for our Yr 5 and 6 athletes and teams, as well as the Year 7 to 12 students.

Before I provide a snapshot of these, I want to reflect on the ICCES (Independent Country Co-Educational Sports) Winter Tour. The tour, which took place on the final two days of Semester 1 in Shepperton consisted of teams of Basketballers, Netballers, Hockey players and Football (Soccer) players competing against six other schools in a round-robin competition. Braemar placed 2nd in the Overall point score by a slim margin of 4 points behind Goulburn Valley Grammar School, with Bacchus March Grammar a further 3 points behind, rounding out the top three schools.

To give a brief snapshot of the carnival, 138 Students attended across 12 teams. 14 staff attended in a coaching capacity.

Eight of our 12 teams made their respective Grand Finals. Two of those teams won their Grand Finals. Congratulations to our Junior Boys Basketball and Intermediate Boys Soccer teams.

I was especially proud of the students and staff as they faced very challenging weather, and despite lots of rain falling on Friday, our student’s behaviour, manners and willingness to work as a team and support their supervising staff were exemplary.

The sporting term ahead starts on week one, with Western Ranges District Soccer, the ICCES Boys and Girls AFL competition and the All Schools Cross Country competition. Best of luck to those competitors next week, we are looking forward to seeing the outcomes of your hard work, and we are grateful to those who have supported you in your sporting journey thus far.

Mr Matt Ellis Director of Sport

The Five W’s of Life

Who you are is what makes you special. Do not change for anyone. What lies ahead will always be a mystery. Do not be afraid to explore. When life pushes you over, you push back harder. Where there are choices to make, make the one you won’t regret. Why things happen will never be certain. Take it in your stride and move forward.

“Who you are is what makes you special. Do not change for anyone.” In life, there will always be some who try to bring you down, and some who will try to change you. It is important to remember, you have something unique, and despite the opinions of others, that is what sets you apart and makes you special. You will never please everyone, so do not change for anyone. Be yourself and surround yourself with those allow you to be you.

“What lies ahead will always be a mystery. Do not be afraid to explore.” It is natural to fear what the future has in store for us. We fear being alone, not fitting in, not being successful and more. It is often frightening to think about the next stage in life. Life beyond school, the “real world’, can be daunting. Even though it is quite frightening to think about, try not to allow that fear to stop you from doing the things that can move you forward toward new experiences and achieving your goals. Embrace the opportunity to explore the world around you.

“When life pushes you over, you push back harder.” We are all human beings, nobody is perfect, and at some point, in your life, you are going to not succeed. However, it is how you react to the ‘failure’ that shows your true character. When things don’t go your way, and life pushes you over, try to push back harder, knowing that everything happens for a reason and the best is yet to come. Don’t give up and have faith in knowing that the toughest battles will only make you stronger as you will grow and learning from mistakes.

“Where there are choices to make, makes the ones you won’t regret.” There are four human elements that make a choice good. These are your emotions, yourself, a purpose, and your surroundings. The choices you make must fit in with your ‘moral compass’, your positive emotions, aligning with you are as a person. Pay attention to your surroundings and make sure your choices are compatible with the situation you find yourself in. If you consider these four elements when making decisions should lead you to better outcomes and fewer repercussions.

“Why things happen will never be certain. Take it in stride and move forward.” We will ever understand why bad things happen. “Everything happens for a reason” even though, at times, we do not understand the possible reasoning. We have control over the direction we wish our lives to take yet often, the outcome of events in our lives exist beyond our control. We cannot control the future nor the past, what other people think or feel, the actions they chose or the choices they make. Instead of spending energy on these things, we can save energy and spend it where we do have control and on things that matter most.

As we head into our mid-year break, think about how the five W’s of life apply to you and how you can enjoy life even more while putting these into perspective.

I wish you all a restful and rejuvenating break and look forward to reconnecting with the Braemar Community throughout Semester 2.

Mrs Emma Grant Dean of Wellbeing and Culture

“In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices.”

The Semester 1 Reports were released at the conclusion of the Semester and are a transcript of the learing during the first six months of the year They are available on the ‘Reports’ tab of SEQTA. SEQTA is used for ongoing feedback; therefore, the need to provide marks or grades to parents in a traditional end-of-semester report card is lessened. The bulk and detail of the feedback about your child’s progress is in SEQTA for access throughout the semester.

On the semester report you will see an LCL or Tutor comment, a student reflection, a list of co-curricular involvement, and a transcript summary of results for each major task in each subject.

A separate SEQTA assessment task in each subject, called ‘Learning Attitudes and Competencies’, was also released to students and parents. Please read these rubrics in conjunction with the semester report, as they provide an overview of each student’s approach to their learning. Separating this from the semester report allows us to report explicitly on attitude and approach every term, rather than only twice a year.

If you have a question about anything contained in your child’s report, please direct your inquiry in the first instance to the relevant subject teacher.

If you require any assistance accessing the report on SEQTA, please contact Ms Lisa-Jayne Lacey at l.lacey@braemar.vic.edu.au.

Ms Lisa-Jayne Lacey Dean of Learning and Teaching

While many were enjoying some downtime in the break, not so for our Year 12 Schoolies Nepal adventurers. With about only 100 sleeps left until they take off to Kathmandu and begin their trek to Everest Base Camp, the group took on a challenging 20 km circuit during the holidays. They hiked the slopes of Mt Macedon, enjoying (maybe not) plenty of ups and downs. Despite the rain, they completed the hike in just over 5 hours.

Walking as a group is one way that the group bonds as a team, as there will be times during the three-week trek when they will rely on each other for support, and it is important to nurture those skills.

The group will be seeking some community support as they make beanies and gather materials to provide to the villages that pass through and some charities in the capital. Keep an eye out for those shoutouts.

If you hear the music...

Term 2 has been another busy period filled with live performances. Our successful restaurant lunches and dinners continued throughout the Term and will continue into term 3. Make sure you book in advance to support the music and catering students.

Performance Dates - Mark these dates in your diaries:

This will be an opportunity for you to hear your child perform on their instrument and/or as part of their ensemble. Support the department for a night of joyous music making – our first full department concert since the pandemic.

Restaurant performances:

Dinners:

Thursday 20 July – to be confirmed. Piano students of Rita Vandervalk

Thursday 3 August - students of Sue Logan-Morris and Kyle Muir (woodwind and guitar)

Thursday 17 August – students of Lizzie Dynon and Tom Martin (drums and guitar)

Thursday 31 August - VET students last performance SACs

Thursday 14 September – VCE Performance Yr 12s final recital – performance of entire program in examination format. Supper served not full restaurant

Lunchtimes:

Wednesday 23 August 2023 Students of Jem Sherwill (piano)

Booking in for instrumental lessons:

Our instrumental music program continues to grow and places are filling up fast.

Prepayment is required to reserve your space. To book your lessons on-line please use this link:

https://braemar.xportal.myxplor.com/bookings?category_id=271&name=Instrumental+Music+Lessons And do contact me with any questions regarding your child’s learning.

Music support – Wednesday lunchtimes Music Club

In Term 3 I will start a lunchtime music club in senior school MC2 for anyone to drop in and get support with any aspect of their music learning. Students are welcome to bring their lunch.

Percussion Ensembles

Calling all those who love rhythm! Percussion ensembles will run on Fridays in term 3 with Mr Carter. You don’t have to know how to play drums but having a background with an instrument is necessary. Please write to me if you are interested: j.ogeil@braemar.vic.edu.au

Middle School String Ensemble

We continue to rehearse on Thursday lunchtimes with Mrs Ryssenbeek and myself. All string players are welcome to join. Again please email me if you are interested.

School incursions – with The Woodend Winter Arts Festival

The Woodend Winter Arts Festival (9-12 June) began and ended at Braemar College this year. WWAF’s school education program has been running as part of the Festival since its inception in 2004.

Year 9 and 10 students were treated with a talk and question and answer session with Dr Alan Finkel, the former Chief Scientist and Chancellor of Monash University. Dr Finkel not only talked about the clean energy supply (the topic of his latest book) but gave personal insights into his lifelong educational journey and career. Senior students joined him for lunch in the Principal’s office later.

Japanese Drummers performing for the Middle School students who were super eager to have a go on these glorious instruments. Many students attended our WWAF’s Fireworks display to synchronised music and with more free entertainment which concluded with Tchaikovsky’s mighty 1812 Overture. Saturday night’ outdoor art projection display of local artist Mary Larnach Jones’s artwork on the significant heritage buildings of High St Woodend was particularly striking. The clocktower never looked so good and became a tourist focal point for selfies! You can see original painting of Larnach-Jones around the senior school campus of Braemar House – in the entrance and the portraits of our former Principals. My special thanks to Angela Whitely for her fantastic work in procuring and organising such quality food vans both for the fireworks and the street festa and to Russell Deer for his support of these events and directing traffic on the Monday public holiday.

Braemar hosted a community event with the remarkable Scotch College Orchestra with national treasure Max Gillies as narrator, to perform Peter and the Wolf at Heyward Hall on Monday 12 June. This outstanding performance by brilliant young musicians was an inspiration for all ages. Yours, with good vibrations,

Dr Jacky Ogeil Director of Music

Get to know us...

Dr Adele Norton

Adele Norton worked in Medical Research and the Pharmaceutical Industry for many years before moving into the Education sector. She has worked for over 15 years at a variety of schools and is passionate about helping students of all ages achieve their best. Adele is the author of a number of publications and has written, reviewed and vetted numerous resources for Mathematics, General Science, Chemistry and Biology, for commercial companies. She is concurrently working with the VCAA on the Digital Assessment Library and is a VCE Chemistry Assessor. Her roles have included Head of Learning – Science and Mathematics, Senior Mathematics Instructor and International Baccalaureate teacher and coordinator. Adele strives to inspire students to study mathematics and the sciences to Year 12 and beyond by relating the theory to real-world applications.

Miss Tegan Harry

Tegan is a former Braemar student, who graduated in 2013. She has spent the last few years working in event management and administration. When not at work, Tegan enjoys spending time with her friends and going on adventures with her very spoiled dog, Luna. She loves to travel and hopes to make Canada her next big trip in the coming years.

Ms Nicole Allan

Hello, my name is Nicole Allan and I am excited about this new journey with Braemar. I have over fifteen years experience working with children of all ages, particularly in the performing arts, as a classroom teacher, in children’s entertainment and most recently directing and choreographing musicals at Melbourne Grammar. I love traveling and was fortunate enough to work and gain knowledge at the Dublin Academy of Dramatic Arts, developing a speech and drama program which I taught in Melbourne over numerous years. My family and I love exploring the Macedon Ranges and spending time at our farm, enjoying the outdoors, gardening, animals and planning our next snow adventure!

SchoolTV Special Report: Social Media Influences

Social media influencers have become powerful individuals who often shape the opinions and beliefs of others due to strong connections with their audiences. In today’s fast-paced digital world, attention has become a valuable commodity.

However, the impact of social media influencers on youth mental health is a growing concern, most recently, the controversial actions and statements of Andrew Tate. His rise to fame has made him a polarising figure, amassing a significant following of mostly young males. Educators and families have raised urgent concerns about the damaging nature of Tate’s content, worried that his messages may radicalise students and create a generation of young men with regressive and harmful beliefs.

Young people often compare themselves to the idealised lives presented by influencers, leading to feelings of inadequacy, low self-worth and dissatisfaction. Social media algorithms may also expose them to inappropriate or harmful content such as explicit material, promotion of harmful behaviours, or distorted perceptions of body image or mental health.

It is important to guide a young person’s social media use and promote open communication. Be curious to comprehend why they might be drawn to radical influencers, like Andrew Tate, and actively seek understanding as part of the solution. While not all influencers have a negative impact, parents play a vital role in ensuring a balanced approach to social media. By actively modelling kindness, respect and positive values, parents can help tackle the sway of radical influencers and be part of the solution to countering unhealthy masculinity. This Special Report provides guidance on how to respond to misinformation and disinformation, instead encouraging critical thinking and emphasising the value of real-life connections. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Emma Grant Dean of Wellbeing and Culture