Next Week @TC

02/05/2025

• STEM Design Challenge

• Snow Camp Expression of Interest

• Join our Parents and Carers Facebook Group

• Mobile Phones Reminder

• Clubs Term 2

• TCNEWS - Manningham District School ANZAC Memorial

STEM Design Challenge

Have you seen these Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife posters around the school and wondered what they are? Well, following on from the Zoos Victoria Youth Leadership program which I attended last year, I have been working on a project around fighting extinction and raising awareness for wildlife. After completing this project, TC will become a Fighting Extinction School and be able to attend a showcase involving schools across Victoria at the end of the year! My project is inspired by the Zoo's Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife campaign which works to find solutions that will keep both cats and wildlife safe and happy. As a part of this project, I'm running a STEM Design Challenge over the coming weeks. Read the poster below to find out more!

By Jessica Ryles

SNOW CAMP expression of interest

• Location: Mt Buller (located on Taungurung land - First Nations people of the rivers and mountains). 

• Dates:  Monday 4 - Friday 8 August (Term 3 - Week 3)

• Cost: Approximately $1300 - $1400 

EOI LINK: 2025 Snow Camp - EoI

This expression of interest (EOI) does not guarantee you a place on this camp. You must use your TC log-in to complete form (parents/carers you cannot complete this for your child, they must use their TC username and password to access the form). Places are limited.

Please note: this camp includes three (3) full days of skiing or snowboarding, with private lessons delivered by professional instructors. The aim of this camp is to maximise your time on the snow. Participants are expected to be skiing or snowboarding for the entirety of these days.

Open to all ages and skill levels.

Once EOI's have been submitted, a selection process will occur. To be clear, students who attended this camp in the past two (2) years (2022 + 2023) will have the lowest priority on the list. Selected attendees must submit a $600 deposit to secure their spot.

Expressions of interest close by Sunday 25 MAY (Week 5). 

Any questions students please message Tony Di Falco on Teams.

Join our parent/carers facebook group

TC has an active parents/carers Facebook page, run by parents for parents. Promoting a safe space for parents and carers of students at Templestowe College to share information online, the group celebrates school achievements, keeps up to date with school events, and more.

To join please follow this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/templestowecollegeparentcarersgroup/ all members will be confirmed by a school staff member, please ensure you answer the requested questions to join.

Mobile Phones Reminder

Just a reminder that @ TC this year we have a refreshed mobile phones policy. These should be turned off and put away through the day. Our aim is to ensure that we meet our requirements as per the ministerial order whilst also supporting students to develop the skills of self regulation in their phone use.

We will continue to look to work in partnership with families as we look to support our students to meet the requirements set out by the Ministerial Order for all Government school students to have their phones turned off and away throughout the school day. For more information on our policy please click here.

Clubs Term 2

Please see updated clubs poster for Term 2.

Manningham District School ANZAC Memorial

Anzac Day, commemorated annually on April 25, is one of Australia and New Zealand’s most significant national days of remembrance. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

"Anzac" stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. On this day in 1915, Anzac troops landed at Gallipoli, Turkey, as part of an Allied campaign during World War I. What followed was a brutal eight-month campaign marked by heavy casualties and harsh conditions. Although the mission failed to achieve its military objectives, the courage and endurance of the Anzacs left a lasting legacy.

Anzac Day has since evolved to honour all Australians and New Zealanders who have served and died in military operations. The day is marked by dawn services, marches, and commemorations across both countries and beyond.

On Tuesday the 29th seven students attended the ANZAC Memorial to represent our school and pay our respects to the fallen who fought for our freedom. On arrival, Australian flags and little booklets with the agenda were handed out. All the schools from the Manningham District had representatives attend and lay a wreath to keep the ANZAC tradition alive for many generations to come. We must remember the sacrifices fought for us so that we can live freely.  

As part of the Anzac Day service, a Catafalque Party of four Military Cadets marched in and took their positions around the cenotaph, standing in silent tribute, symbolizing respect for the fallen. A Catafalque party is a guard typically consisting of four people, who stand watch over a coffin or memorial, often as a mark of respect during a funeral, memorial service, or Anzac Day ceremony. TC student Jake Buse formed part of the Catafalque.

Mr Anothony Callian, the Co-President of the Rotary Manningham City, welcomed us to the memorial and talked of our brave heroes in the war. "We learn the stories of the ANZAC heroes and now we pay our respects to them." He said, then passed the mic over to the second speaker.

The Mayor of Manningham District, Deirdre Diamante, shared what Anzac Day meant to her, expressing that it’s a day to pause and "thank all those who fought in the war," she stated, emphasising how significant their sacrifices were and how we should "cherish and love this country," honouring all that was given and lost to protect it. She then recited a poem that James Henry Bryant composed while in the trenches.  

"My Native Leaf"

The Irish love their native leaf that in their Island grows,
The Scottish and the English love the Thistle and the Rose,
But greater than these flowers and dearer far to me,
The emblem I love best of all is the native Blue Gum tree.

It sheltered me when I was young, beneath its boughs I played,
The house where I was born was built beneath a gum tree shade.
And often in the days gone by, the days when we were boys
That old gum tree shared my childish thoughts, my sorrows and my joys.

And if by perchance that I should fall, beneath a foreign sky,
I hope some passing wind will blow a Gum leaf where I lie.
A gum leaf fresh and fragrant blown from a wild gum tree,
That grows in far Australia, the Island of the Free.

Mr. Keith Wolahan, a Member of the Menzies, shared a story about Jim Burrowes, a soldier who lived in the area and worked as a coast watcher during the First World War. Mr Wolahan had the honour of talking to him before he passed at the age of 101 on the 7th of July 2024. Jim’s story is not just about radios and secret missions, but about love, grief, perseverance and the kind of courage that lingers long after the guns fall silent.

Jim Burrowes wasn’t just a war hero, he was a brother, a son, and a quiet witness to a heartbreaking loss. Keith Wolahan talked about the crushing weight Jim Burrowes's mother must have bore when she sent all three of her sons to war in the South Pacific, with only one returning home. Jim's brother, Bob, was captured and drowned aboard the Montevideo Maru, a Japanese prison ship that sunk without warning in just 11 minutes. Tom, the youngest brother, was shot down over Rabaul on his first mission. Jim was stationed for ten harrowing months overlooking that very place and harboured the solemn understanding that the land he watched over was where his brothers had fallen.

After Wolahan's speech, members of the community and school groups had the opportunity to lay a wreath on the cenotaph. One of TC's school captains, Abby Dearman, said the most memorable part of the event for her was "Seeing all the schools from Manningham lay their wreaths that had all different flowers and decorations; all of them were beautiful." Tya Robinson, another TC school captain, talked about the importance of keeping the Anzac spirit alive. "I believe that it is our role to ask questions but more importantly to listen, to hear the stories of the Anzacs and then share them, so that their stories are not forgotten, and we remember their brave sacrifice."

"Along with my fellow school captains, I laid a reef beside the War Memorial on behalf of the wider TC Community. I felt privileged being able to pay my respects to those who served and to represent Templestowe College at such an important event." Says William Genat, another one of TC's school captains. Will also talked about what ANZAC day meant to him, "For me, it definitely revolves around remembering and acknowledging the sacrifices men and women made during both world wars. On a more personal level, my family remembers my Great Grandpa who served in WW2, becoming a prisoner of war on the Burma Railway. I honoured him during the ceremony by wearing his set of Medals."

Afterwards, Mr Paul Richards, President of Templestowe RSL read The Ode of Remembrance:

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them
Lest we Forget.

Emily Dean, a FLE 3 student at TC, had the privilege of performing the Last Post towards the end of the ceremony. "It’s a pretty big honour." She says, "A lot of people are really grateful to have someone perform it live, rather than have a track." Although this wasn't Emily's first time performing the Last Post in public, it doesn’t make the occasion any less daunting. "I’ve done it multiple times before, so I’m getting used to the pressure of it, but it’s definitely nerve-racking."

Attending the Anzac Memorial was not just a solemn observance, but a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made that have shaped our nation. The stories we heard and the traditions we honoured serve as a bridge between the past and the future. As we left the memorial, we carried with us a renewed commitment to remember and cherish the freedoms we enjoy today, thanks to the sacrifices of those who came before us. Lest we forget.

By Ruby Egan-Douglas and Mietta Palmer

Last Weeks Announcements

• OurFutures Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program at TC in 2025

• New TC Principal Appointment Process - An Update

• Term 1 Newsletter

• Term 2 Dates and Calendar

• Respectful Community Behaviour

OurFutures Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program at TC in 2025

The TC Community Integrated Learning team will be working with staff and students to implement the OurFutures Drug and Alcohol prevention program for secondary schools. The online modules will be guided by Connect Mentors during Connect sessions in Term2-2025. OurFutures https://ourfuturesinstitute.org.au/ is an evidence-based drugs and alcohol prevention program which aims to empower young people with knowledge and skills. The program adopts a harm-minimisation approach and evaluation shows this learning supports delayed first-use of drugs and alcohol and increases a person’s ability to make informed decisions.

The prevention programs are co-designed with young people and teachers, ensuring students immerse themselves in the stories and develop skills they can apply to their lives. Delivered in relatable cartoon style with characters and storylines based on young people’s lived experiences. The activities explore elements of physical, mental, social and emotional health and well-being. We believe the modules will be both educational and engaging for students.

The relevant OurFutures module are as follows:

• Entry & FLE1 Students: Vaping

• FLE2 & FLE3 Students: Alcohol and Cannabis

• FLE4 & Gra Students: MDMA and emerging drugs

At TC we take a whole school approach and believe that drug and alcohol education is a shared responsibility. We encourage parents/carers explore the OurFutures website https://ourfuturesinstitute.org.au/ and to follow up with conversations with your child as they progress through the activities.

We encourage and strongly recommend that all students attend these important life-skills classes. However, if you would prefer your child not to attend, please email your child’s Community Executive Team to opt out by 5pm Monday 28th April, 2025. Students who are not participating will go to another supervised space during these sessions.  

BLUE@tc.vic.edu.au 
RED@tc.vic.edu.au 
GOLD@tc.vic.edu.au
GREEN@tc.vic.edu.au 

Andrea Carydias and Ryan Griffith
Community Integrated Learning Team

New TC Principal Appointment Process - An Update

This process has now begun. The Department of Education and the College Council are undertaking the process, intending to have a new Principal in place for the first day of term 3, following on from our current Principal, Peter Ellis, leaving at the end of term 2. The school leadership team continues to put processes and practices in place to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible for all members of the TC Community.

More information will be publicly available next month.

Term 1 Newsletter

Term 2 Dates and Calendar

Key dates for Term 2:

• 22nd April - Students Return

• 20th May - Athletics Carnival for all students

• 17th June - All staff PPD day. No classes running on site. GAT Exam for all Unit 3/4 VCE and VCE VM Students (all day).

• 4th July - Last Day of Term

RESPECTFUL COMMUNITY BEHAVIOUR 

Our goal at TC is to always work respectively and in collaboration with parents, carers, advocates and other adult members of the school community.

We kindly ask that, in return, members of the TC community engage respectfully with all TC staff.

TC’s Community of Conduct states the parents and community members will:

• Model positive behaviour to our child.

• Ensure our child attends school on time, every day the school is open for instruction.

• Take an interest in our child’s school and learning.

• Work with the school to achieve the best outcomes for our child.

Unreasonable behaviours

Behaviours that are considered inappropriate on and adjacent to school grounds or in relation to school business and that do not uphold the principles of this Statement of Values include when a person:

• is rude, aggressive or harasses others

• sends rude, confronting or threatening letters, emails or text messages

• is manipulative or threatening

• speaks in an aggressive tone, either in person or over the telephone

• makes sexist, racist or derogatory comments

• inappropriately uses social media as a forum to raise concerns/make complaints against the school

• is physically intimidating, e.g. standing very close.

These behaviours are never okay and can make staff and students feel unsafe. Unacceptable behaviour will be taken very seriously and addressed by our Principal Team. This may include calling the police if required or issuing you a School Community Safety Order.

To learn more about how you can build positive relationships with TC staff, please check out:

• TC Statement of Values - https://tc.vic.edu.au/policies

• Department of Education Policies:

https://www.vic.gov.au/respectful-behaviours-within-school-community-policy

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/respectful-workplaces/overview