Next Week @TC

05/05/2023

• Drama Ensembles

• Living Culture

• TC Camps

• Cross Country This Wednesday

• Laughs with Staff EPISODE 7

• TCNEWS - International Student Recruitment to South Korea and Japan 2023 

Living Culture

Dear TC Community,

Term 2 is all about LIVING CULTURE. This theme brings together our commitment to Reconciliation and learning about First Nations' perspectives, as well as exploring global citizenship, advocacy, and our place in the world. Throughout the term, students will have the opportunity to participate in many activities, both in the classroom as well as at whole school and opt-in events. 

The following events are open to all students:

LIVING CULTURE LIVE! feat Djirri Djirri - Tues May 16 & Wed May 17, TC Performing Arts Centre 
Tickets available:  https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1043389

Athletics/Indigenous Games Day with Wanyara - Tues May 23
Doncaster Athletics Track
All day, all staff, all students. 
Consent required on Compass! 

Buroinjin Cup celebrating 100 year anniversary of the Aboriginal Advancement League, Thurs May 25
Opt-in event: https://forms.office.com/r/eEn9P9zCYz
If you love sport, can run fast and catch a ball, this traditional Indigenous game could be for you! Compete against other schools and be part of the first Victorian Cup run by Wanyara. 

Reconciliation Week May 27 - June 3 
Various events and focus groups happening during class time and Connect. 

Woi Wurrung Language Workshop with Wurundjeri language knowledge holder Mandy Nicholson  - Tues June 6
Lunch time opt-in workshop: https://forms.office.com/r/TYMP07U5jz

Refugee Week - June 18-24 
Keep an eye on Compass Newsfeed for info about Ration Challenge and other Refugee Week events. Contact MBAI@tc.vic.edu.au or Meg Bailey on Teams for any questions. 
For any Living Culture related questions, please contact RGR@tc.vic.edu.au 

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
TC has a draft Reconciliation Action Plan. In 2023 we will be renewing and publishing our RAP and deepening our commitment to reconciliation. If you would like to view, collaborate, or contribute to our Reconciliation Action Plan, please contact RGR@tc.vic.edu.au. 

TC Camps

The TC Camps program is in full swing with students heading out in term 1 for Entry Camp, Grad Camp, MAP, Outdoor Education and more. As we look ahead to plan for the rest of the year please find attached a summary of the camps on offer for the rest of the year. An expression of interest form, additional camp outlines and contact information will be posted within the Teams Community pages shortly for students to access and complete.

Camps include:

• Arts Immersion

• Hiking Camp

• Snow Camp

• “Choose Your Own Adventure Camp” Including Horse Riding, Surfing, Hiking, Abseiling/Rock Climbing

Cross Country This Wednesday

We have our cross country taking place this Wednesday afternoon. More information can be found in the news section of Compass.

Laughs with Staff Episode 7

Laughs With Staff 
S-Wing edition 
Episode 7

Watch it now on Instagram

A song you always have on high rotation?
Sophie: at the moment I am going back to the early noughties so I'm listening to lots of British indie punk like the kooks and the Klaxons .
Amy: ohhh it changes a lot but at the moment I am really loving someone called Zack Brian and the song that I love the most at the moment is called the good I'll do and that is because I was really into Yellowstone and so it's a bit of country kinda vibes that was going on 
Bonnie: Oh my god I love Yellowstone 
Craig: well I can't say just one [laughs] because I cycle through I actually listen to albums 'cause I'm old it's how I take in my music, I have to listen to a whole album I can't just listen to mix- even mixed stuff I find tricky so I've had a lot of um, I've found the older I get, the further back I go so I got a lot of like classic rock on high rotation which would be... oh I'm slightly embarrassed to say um I I've been playing KISS a lot because [laughs] I went and saw them last year and they were fantastic and they're like one of my early loves and a lot of Skyhooks, ACDC, stuff like that
Rita: So for me it was a song by Kings of Leon which I can't actually say because it has a rude word in it 
Mei: Mine's 'Woman' by Kesha 
Duncan: uh Violent Femmes, 'Blister in the Sun'

International Student Recruitment to South Korea and Japan 2023 

As you may know, COVID, lockdowns and border closures have significantly affected Victoria's International Program. Towards the end of the month, our principal, Peter Ellis, will be embarking on an International Student Recruitment trip to South Korea and Japan! For two weeks, Peter alongside some other government schools, will travel around Seoul and Tokyo to represent Victorian education at Trade Fairs, and meet with education agents and potential families and students. The aim of this trip is to market TC as part of the Victorian educational experience in the International Education Market and recruit new students to come to study here. The Education Fairs include schools from all over the world like Canada, Britain, New Zealand and Australia, all showing how great their education can be for international students!

This is not our principal's first International Student Recruitment trip. He's previously been to China and Japan. This year he chose to visit South Korea and Japan as he admires "their cultures around innovation and being creative." To prepare for his trip, Peter has been doing a lot of research about Korea and is particularly interested in how "entrepreneurial and future-focused [they are], which really aligns with the [our] school".

Upon meeting the education agents, they will receive a gift bag that includes, Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria tea towels, Macadamia nuts, TC pens, an Aussie Pride Rotary badge, a TC notepad, a TC USB with all of the information from TC loaded onto it, all packaged in a TC tote bag. The contents of the gift were decided by, Peter and our International Student Program Coordinator, Belle.

With a Korean background, our Hub Manager Jin also used to work in the International Program and would recommend that Peter try authentic "Tteokbokki and Gamjatang." Also, if he has time in Seoul, he should check out the "Gyeongbokgung Palace, Insadong, Bukhansan National Park and Bukchon Hanok Village." 

TC currently has thirty international students from Chile, China & Hong Kong, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Venezuela, and Vietnam! The international program "mainly supports students who plan on graduating with a VCE, but we also offer study abroad options so students can come for a short term". 

Our international students' journey at TC begins with Belle! Her role encompasses many different things, such as reviewing and accepting their application, if they come without family, she will pick them up from the airport, and bring them to their host family. Also, she collaborates with their families and if needed, helps them with banking, myki cards and other things they might need to get settled in. Throughout the enrollment process, Belle assists students with the overall subject selection and transition into our school. She explained that TC’s program is different to other schools because "just like TC, we support students to explore their interests, to see each student individually, their needs and wellbeing and give them an opportunity to explore outside the traditional pathways they know."

When they first come to TC, most international students will start at our onsite English Language Centre. They may also attend homework club, which is run once a week on Wednesdays and allows Belle to "check in with students and also give them some space to finish up work they might have and ask questions they might have." The program also has multicultural aides who support students in and out of class. The VCE Chinese First language subject is also offered at TC, so our "Chinese-speaking students (both local and international), who are most of our cohort, can potentially boost their VCE results!"

Here, I spoke to some of TC's students in the international program and our International Student Leader. Read on. 

Where are you from and how long are you here for? 
Tat:  I'm from Malaysia and I've been here for about four months.
Shirley: I am from Anhui, Ma’anshan, China. I plan to stay here in Australia until I get to work here, or maybe I will go to other countries to graduate school.
Jade: I’m from Vietnam. I will be here for studying university.
Jelto: I'm from Germany and I am here for one year.

What is your aim as an International Leader?
Santiago: As an international leader, I’m aware that I represent and look out for not only international students but also regular students who have English as their second language. I want to ensure that everyone in the international program feels included and welcomed since a lot of us international students experience homesickness very often. This community is not as big as others, but it’s just as important. I want to make international students connect with Australians more, so both parties can share and know each other more. 

What made you want to study abroad in Victoria? 
Tat: The opportunities and education here made me want to study abroad in Victoria
Shirley: The reason for me to come here and study aboard is because I love the learning environment here, where I could be engaged to do what I like to do. Also, I love the teachers here.
Jelto: My main reason to study abroad was for the experience. I looked through a bunch of options and in the end, I decided on Melbourne as it seemed like the best option for me.
Santiago: I wanted to study in Victoria since my Uncle and Aunt had come here before me and my family, and they told me the immense amount of opportunities one has here, unlike Ecuador or Venezuela. 

What has been your favourite part of TC? 
Tat: My favourite part of TC is that we can choose our subjects ourselves.
Shirley: Art is my favourite part of TC. 
Jade: My favourite part of TC is the TC environment, tools, subject, students, and friendly teachers [who are] helpful and support students with disabilities.
Jelto: Definitely the Animals' Program. Working with all the different animals is just a lot of fun and something I never got to do like that before. 

How are classes different in your home country from classes here? 
Tat: First of all, classes here are using English as their major language for teaching. Besides, classes here provide more opportunities for us to communicate with each other.
Shirley: The lessons are completely different from classes back in China. In my previous schools, we have never-ending homework and test practices. You won’t usually have breaks because the teachers would use these times to give punishments or continue their lessons. We have way much more lessons than here in Victoria, approximately 7~9 lessons a day. The complete atmosphere of schools in China are tense and desperate, everyone are being expected to get a high mark even if they don’t want to. Feeling depressed is normal in Chinese schools. I may say, studying schools in Victoria seems to be like having a relaxing holiday where you can do what you want and learn what you like. And by the way, we don’t get to choose what we will learn before university. 
Jade: The classes here are different from my home country’s classes. There are many subjects to choose from than in Vietnam, many equipment and tools to support the subject and the way to learn here is also different, students can use computers to take notes and look up to learn.
Jelto: The freedom to choose every single one of the classes I want to take is the biggest difference I'd say. The content, complexity and way of teaching may not be the same but they aren't too different either.
Santiago: When it comes to classes, there are A LOT of differences between my country and TC. First, I’m able to choose my subjects, in any year level, something that is not offered in Venezuela/Ecuador. Second, there’s a range of options, I can’t do Media, Drama, Food tech, Art and other subjects like that in Latin America, it’s amazing! And last but not least, teachers are more comprehensive and friendly here. More than a teacher, it feels like a friend who is trying to help you. This really helped me to feel included when I first came here. 

What advice would you give to a new international student?
Shirley: Please do not take the content of the lessons too seriously when you first come here. Also, the lessons are all great fun and interesting except that there are only maximum four lessons in a day.
Jelto: Get out there and experience stuff! You're only here for so long, take this opportunity to get to know new people and this country.
Santiago: My advice to a new international student would be to look for a community or club to join so you can make friends quickly, this helps to reduce homesickness, as you won’t feel as alone. This also will help your English learning, as you’d be in constant touch with English speakers.

In light of this terms, Community Integrated Learning theme, "Living Culture", Belle would like to acknowledge our "international students who bring diversity to TC, that living experience of intercultural worlds, and different perspectives on world view and concepts. I [Belle] would like to encourage everyone to embrace these differences and that this is also true for many of our newly migrated students who speak English as a second language." Stay tuned for next week to learn more about Term Two's Community Integrated Learning theme, "Living Culture"!

Through talking to students and staff about the International Program, I realised, how diverse and big the TC Community actually is! I also learnt you can support our community by providing homestay accommodation for international students. This experience offers the opportunity to learn about another culture and build lifelong friendships. Our program is currently looking for TC families keen to host international students. 

We wish Peter the best of luck on his trip to South Korea and Japan and look forward to welcoming new international students to TC in the coming terms!

Please email Belle if your family is interested in hosting: bau@tc.vic.edu.au

By Bonnie-Mai Smith 
TC Journalist

Last Weeks Announcements

• TC Music Present “Living Culture”

• Athletics Indigenous Games Day

• Attendance Processes Reminders

• Term 2 Clubs

• Staffing Changes for Term 2

• Tours of TC for Prospective Students (Currently in Year 6)

TC Music presents "LIVING CULTURE" Concerts May 16 & 17.

Two nights only! 
Doors open 6:30 for a 7:00pm start
$20.00 per person

As part of our Community Integrated Learning theme 'Living Culture', TC Music is proud to present a jam packed program of original works, reworked interpretations, and unexpected collaborations exploring the nuanced and interconnected lens of Culture. Through personal stories, research into sub-culture and counter-cultural movements, and inspiration taken from seminal artists in various genres, the many bands and ensembles will entertain, provoke thought and laughter, and reflect the diverse and multifaceted community at TC. 

Featuring a special guest performance by Wurundjeri dancers Djirri Djirri on Tues May 16 only! 

Tickets must be pre-purchased: https://www.trybooking.com/CHJMJ

Athletics Indigenous Games Day

Our annual Athletics and Indigenous Games Day is on again at the Doncaster Athletics Track on Tuesday May 23 (Week 5 Term 2).  This is an important day in our community calendar and all students are expected to attend. There will be no classes and supervision at TC on the day.  Consent is now open on compass.

In addition to the full range of Athletics events, Wanyara will host a massive day of traditional Indigenous games culminating in TC sending a team to compete against other schools in the inaugural Buroinjin Cup to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Aboriginal Advancement League in Fitzroy.

ATTENDANCE PROCESSES REMINDERS

A reminder about the following processes to do with Attendance @TC:

• Student absence and reason for absence should be recorded via the Compass portal on the day of absence

• Students who are completing a VCE subject must achieve an attendance requirement of 80% or over to pass the subject

• Any students who miss a VCE class should provide a medical certificate to the school to have that attendance approved under DET guidelines

• If you believe your student was in class but has been marked absent, please contact the relevant classroom teacher to discuss

Should you have any queries regarding attendance, or if you would like further support from the school, please contact the relevant Community Team.

Yours sincerely,
Katrina Katz - Assistant Principal - Community and Wellbeing

CLUBS for term 2

Staffing Changes for Term 2

There are a few staffing changes for the beginning of term 2. We have emailed the families of those students impacted directly.

We would like to congratulate our Assistant Principal Director of Learning Adam Cribbes on being appointed to an Acting Principal role at Thornbury High School. We are in the process of appointing a replacement for Adam in this role, and will inform the community when this is complete.

Tours of TC for Prospective Students (Currently in Year 6).

We are in peak tour season now as Year 6 students are making their choices for High school in 2024. Whilst tours of TC are nothing new to our students, due to the regular occurrence of them, if you are speaking to anyone who is looking for a tour as a year 6 family, please direct them to our website for more information.

Previous TC NEWS Articles

Schools ANZAC Day Commemoration Service

Yesterday, Assistant Principal Darren, Nurse Donna and School Captains, Chloe, Finn and I attended the 32nd School ANZAC Service held at Templestowe Memorial Park and laid a wreath on behalf of our school community. This year, the service was attended by over 600 students and staff representing schools in the City of Manningham and prominent attendees included The Hon. Keith Wolahan MP (Member for Menzies), The Hon. Matthew Guy MP (Member for Bulleen), Councillor Deirdre Diamante (Mayor - City of Manningham) and Mr Brian Atherton (Past President - Templestowe RSL Sub Branch). 

Starting at noon, the ceremony began with a welcome delivered by the Rotary Club of Templestowe. Then the Deputy Mayor, Deirdre Diamante gave a response speech and an Acknowledgement of Country. Following the speeches, we all stood to sing the hymn ‘O God, Our Help In Ages Past’. After the hymn, Keith Wolahan delivered the ANZAC Address. His speech was incredibly moving and personal as he provided us with some wise words and reflected on his friend in the army who had sadly lost his life. 

After the touching speeches, representatives from all the participating schools then laid their wreaths at the foot of the monument. The structure was surrounded by four members and an armed guard of the Australian Defence Force School of Signals Catafalque Party as a sign of respect for those who have fallen. The wreath is used as a commemorative symbol to help us honour and remember those who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. Provided to us by Donna the rosemary on our wreath signifies remembrance and the colour purple for mourning, spirituality and ceremony. 

After, School Captains from East Doncaster Secondary College delivered the ANZAC Requiem (see below), which was followed by the Templestowe RSL Sub-Branch reciting 'The Ode' then the playing of the last post, flag rising and a minute of silence to honour those that did not return home. The ceremony concluded with everyone standing to sing Advance Australia Fair and God Defend New Zealand, performed by the Doncaster Secondary College Wind Symphony. 

As a Captain, it was an honour to represent TC at the ANZAC Service. It was an emotional tribute to the ANZACs, recognising how their qualities of courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice continue to be relevant today. 

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Templestowe for providing the annual Schools ANZAC Day Commemoration Service.

Lest we forget. 

By Bonnie-Mai Smith 
TC Journalist

ANZAC Requiem

On this day above all days, we recall those who served in the war and who did not return to receive the grateful thanks of the nation.
We remember those who still sleep where they were left - amid the holly scrub in the valleys and the ridges of Gallipoli - on the rocky and terraced hills of Palestine - and in the fields of Flanders and France.

We remember those who lie asleep in the ground beneath the shimmering haze of the Libyan Desert - at Bardia, Derna, Tobruk - and amid the mountain passes and olive groves of Greece and Crete, and the rugged, snow-capped hills of Lebanon and Syria.
We remember those who lie buried in the rank jungle of Malaya and Burma - in New Guinea - and the Pacific.

We remember those who lie buried amid loving friends in our Motherland and in our own far North.
We remember those who lie in unknown resting places in almost every land, and those gallant men whose grave is the unending sea. Especially do we remember those who died as prisoners of war, remote from their homeland, and from the comforting presence of their next of kin.

We think of those of our women’s services who gave their lives in our own

foreign lands and at sea, and of those who proved to be, in much more than name, the sisters of our fighting men.
We recall, too, the staunch friends who fought beside our men on the first ANZAC Day - men of New Zealand who helped to create the name of ANZAC.

We recall of those who gave their lives in the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Royal Air Force, the Merchant Service and in other British and Dominion Forces.
We think of those British men and women who fell, when, for the second time in history, their nation and its kindred stood alone against the overwhelming might of an oppressor.

We think of every man and woman who in those crucial hours died so that the lights of freedom and humanity might continue to shine.
We think of those gallant men and women who died in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and in Peacekeeping Forces assisting to defend the Commonwealth and other countries of the Free World, against a common enemy.