Next Week @TC

13/09/2024

• End of Term Arrangements and Return to Term 4 Arrangements

• Key Dates for Term 4

• 2025 Instrumental Music Program Enrolments are now open

End of Term Arrangements and Return to Term 4 Arrangements

• Classes will run as normal on the last day of term 3, Friday 20th September.

• Classes will begin as normal on the first day of term 4, Monday 7th October.

Key dates for term 4

• Monday 7th October - First day of Term 4

• Thursday 17th October - Grad Celebration Day. Assembly period 1 (whole school). Classes run as normal for everyone except Unit 4 classes which have now finished.

• Tuesday 5th November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

• Friday 29th November - Staff PD, Student Free Day - No classes running on this day.

• Monday 2nd December - Start of Head Start Week 1 - All students

• Monday 9th December - Start of Head Start Week 2 - Students involved TBC

• Monday 16th December - Start of Activity Week

• Friday 20th December - Last day of Term 4, students dismissed at lunchtime

2025 Instrumental Music Program Enrolments are now open

Any student interested in learning an Instrument at TC - now is your chance to enrol in Instrumental Music Lessons for 2025.

Bass Guitar, Guitar, Drums, Piano, Singing, Woodwind, Strings and Music Tech Lessons are offered at TC, so if you are interested in finding out more come down to the PAC or email Kyle on KCL@tc.vic.edu.au.  More information on Compass

 Spaces are limited and enrolments are due by Friday 25 October.

Last Weeks Announcements

• Wanted: Used tea light candles

Wanted: used tea light candles

Bee Club are making bee wax candles by refilling used tea light candles. If you have any used candles (metal cases) please drop them into the Permaculture Garden or Science office. Thanks! Bee Club

Previous Weeks Announcements

• School Saving Bonus

• New Boom Gate - Changed Traffic Conditions During the Day

• Acrylic wanted for technologies department

• 2024 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey

• VCE Attendance

School Saving Bonus

Dear parents and carers,

In Term 4, 2024, families with a child enrolled in a government school from Prep to Year 12 in 2025 will receive the one-off $400 School Saving Bonus.

The $400 School Saving Bonus provides families with support for education-related costs, such as school activities and/or school uniforms and textbooks.

The School Saving Bonus is not available for full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.   

Actions for parents and carers

Before 18 October 2024, the Department of Education is asking parents and carers to:

• Complete enrolment: If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025. For more information, read about Enrolling in School.

• Check your contact information: Ensure your email address and phone number is up to date with us. You can check this information by contacting the front office on 9850 6333 option #3.

We need to ensure your contact information is up to date as the Department of Education will email you twice:

• in October, to verify your email address

• in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus.

Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus. 

New Boom Gate - Changed Traffic Conditions During the Day

Our new boom gate was installed on Thursday. This will prevent cars from driving through the areas where students are moving during the school day between S Wing and the Sports Centre and the rest of the school.

The boom gate will be open for drop off and pick up at the following times:

• 8am – 9:15am

• 3:15pm – 4:15pm (1:45 - 4pm on Wednesday and Friday)

The one way system will be in operation as normal at the peak times.

At all other times during weekdays the boom gate will be closed. There will be an intercom attached eventually. We will continue to monitor the operation times for the boom gate. The priority will always be the safety of our students and community members.

The purpose of this is to increase levels of safety for our students during the day when moving between S Wing or the Sports Centre to the rest of the school as well as on the driveway by the Permaculture garden and the Animals spaces. Cars will still be able to access the parking behind the Sports Centre.

Any parents or carers who might be in the plastic business?

Hello TC Community!
We are on the hunt for Acrylic plastic. Particularly 3mm sheets but we will take anything.
Are there any TC community members who might be in the plastic business, or has access to Acrylic plastic and can donate or sell at a discount price?
Here at Templestowe College, we use acrylic for so many subjects and purposes. We use acrylic for small electronic project cases, we use it for jewellery earrings, we use it for mirror finish guitar covers, we use it for systems engineering projects, we use it in Design Technology for thousands of creative projects including the illumination project.
Please contact Rianne or Matt @ rbur@tc.vic.edu or mplu@tc.vic.edu.au

2024 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024.
All families are invited to participate in the survey.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to the school directly by emailing connect@tc.vic.edu.au for survey guides in your language.

The link to access the survey was emailed to families directly today. We are only able to send one link per household.

VCE ATTENDANCE PROCESSES REMINDERS

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

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

• The final date for Unit 4 is Friday 20th September and for Unit 2 is Friday 8th November

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

• Any students who miss a VCE class must provide a medical certificate to the school to have that attendance approved under DET guidelines (a Statutory Declaration is not sufficient)

• A reminder that students studying VCE should not be taking holidays during term time as this will severely affect their attendance and ability to complete course work and pass subjects

• The best way to improve attendance is to attend!

• 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

Previous TCNEWS Articles

The Team We Need, together for humanity

Over the past few weeks, TC has had the opportunity to participate in a program called Together for Humanity (TFH), a non-for-profit organisation run by enthusiastic mentors who work with schools and communities to "foster intercultural understanding and help students learn how to deal with differences."

Over two weeks, each year level was granted a one-hour session during connect, to help expand our knowledge and leadership skills. These sessions were held in the PAC where we explored thought-provoking questions and engaged in captivating discussions, where the audience had the choice to voice their opinions.  Michael and Marg, the two educators from TFH that ran the sessions, were both passionate and eager to teach us about Together for Humanity's goal, and what they are actively doing to make their goal a reality.

"We all come together to make a better world and to create change" Marg says, and, "As humans we need to stop generalising and judging."

During the FLE2 (year 9) session on Friday 26/07, Marg ran an activity with the students prompting them with the question," What's one thing you want to change in the world". Everyone then had the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions with the group. and then those comments were written down on the whiteboard.

A conversation was then held about the different goals/statements students had brought up, and how they were achievable through hard work and courage to make a change. Some of the things that were said were;

"Kindness as currency"
"Equity for all"
"Help people in need and fight climate change"

We learnt about young people from all over the world and how they strove from the norm so that could make a difference in our world.

One of the inspirational youth was Boyan Slat, a young Dutch man who was passionate about cleaning the ocean; passionate enough to make it happen. He's the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup; a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to rid the world's oceans of plastic. They aim to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040. - https://theoceancleanup.com/

Boyan Slat states “When people say something is impossible, the sheer absoluteness of that statement should be a motivation to investigate further."

Another well-known young person we discussed was Gretta Thunberg. At just the age of 15, she started voicing her concerns for the future. She worked hard to address the problem of climate change, founding a movement known as Fridays for Future.

These young people are truly inspiring and remind us that "Everyone has a role in building a better world"- Marg.

The following weeks after the session, we delved deeper into the topics discussed with Marg and Michael. Discussing it during connect was an opportunity to share our thoughts and opinions in a safe space with our peers.

One of the classes motto was Curiosity before judgment. We did a series of activity's (called modules) entailing writing down things we would like to change about the world on sticky notes, before sharing them with the class. As well as this, multiple PowerPoints were presented addressing how we can encourage and inspire change.

Overall, together for humanity was an eye-opening experience, that the students of TC will forever be grateful for.

Marg said "If there is one thing you learnt from this presentation, I hope its that we can all make a better world and create change'''

By Ruby Egan-Douglas and Mietta Palmer
TC Journalists

Wellbeing
If you're struggling with any of the topics/themes above, please feel free to reach out to your connect mentor, community leaders and/or wellbeing staff for any support you may need during, before or after these sessions.

https://togetherforhumanity.org.au/

Matilda

The last performance of TC’s Matilda the Musical was two weeks ago today, and it was a blast! Hopefully you had the chance to watch the incredible musical. All four days of the performance got lots of positive feedback from the audience, and everyone involved–including me–had a very enjoyable experience. Rehearsals started all the way back in February, and we gained lots of treasured memories in the process. I spoke to the cast to bring you some insight from behind the curtains.

Luna Evans spoke about how “everyone is so supportive and kind to each other”, and the cast and crew were “like one big family”, which lots of cast members also agreed with. Jacob Redhouse enjoyed “being able to watch everyone put in so much effort to make the show great, and enjoying themselves in the process”, as well as “getting to eat real chocolate cake” in his role as Bruce Bogtrotter. Alex Shade’s favourite memory from the performance was “when Maddie and Hayden put on school uniforms and wigs, and went on stage for the start of [the song] ‘Chokey Chant’, pretending to be school kids” on the last night of the show. Abbie Andjelic-Lane especially loved “the candy salad” we made during one of the rehearsals, and the “‘Hot To Go’ videos we filmed”. Angie Santa made the best memories during “our afterparty at the Pancake Parlour.”

There were lots of laughs backstage. Will Genat, who played Miss Trunchbull, said that before each show he would “roam around as Miss Trunchbull, horse whip and all, jokingly telling people in-character to hurry along or stop touching things they weren't meant to. This gave people a bunch of laughs and relieved stress/anxiety for other cast members before curtains opened.” Scarlett Evans added that “you would not believe the unhinged in-character conversations that happened backstage. They gradually got more chaotic each night!” Indi-Rae Laiacona spoke about how one time, during a mic check, “Emily and I were in the back, dancing and singing ‘Turn Up The Track’ by MattyB with the Escapologist’s baby, when someone came in and called me to [the] stage. Turns out, my mic was on the whole time and they heard me singing and dancing. It was so embarrassing, but so funny.”

Will mentioned that “finding the time for both schoolwork and rehearsing/finding your character” is challenging, so for future performers, he suggested his method where “each night, before getting ready for bed, I'd just speak to the mirror in [Miss Trunchbull’s] voice and run lines/sing her songs or practise her walk.” Eliza Osborn reminded future performers to “always do vocal warmups, and make sure you tie your shoes.” Scarlett's advice is to “just put yourself out there. I always say if you feel silly or stupid, you are probably doing it right! You will have so much more fun and be a better performer if you stop worrying about what others think about you, and just do what feels right.” Jasmine Fuga said to remember that “everyone responds differently to stressful situations”, so “always be kind; be kind to the cast, crew, directors, everyone.”

During the last scene of the last night, Jasmine felt “so proud of what we had accomplished, but sad that it was all coming to an end. I got quite emotional and even started tearing up on stage.” Now that the show is over, Naomi Bruinsma said that what she will miss most is “being able to perform with an amazing cast, [and] also not seeing some people in the cast every Friday/every day”, as well as “how much fun it was to be able to see the whole cast grow in confidence from the first ever rehearsal to the show.” Alex will miss “having something that consumes my life and thoughts 24/7 straight for a couple months.” Hannah Phillips will miss “the sense of community that I found at rehearsals. I formed amazing friendships, and I wish we could still meet every Friday!”

Excitement is already brewing for next year’s musical. Abbie “can’t wait” and is “excited to find out what show it will be”, and Indi-Rae is sure that “any musical will be sooo fun.” Hannah Phillips is “looking forward to potentially being a student director”, which is a great opportunity for anyone next year. Like the other Grads in the performance, I won’t be in next year’s musical, but we’re looking forward to coming back to watch it. As Will said, it’s going to be “bigger, better and bolder.”

By Rory Opie
TC Jounalist

Enjoy Connect TV segment - What is your favourite Roald Dahl Book/Character? - in celebration of Matilda

Think clean & Go green

Every year 350 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced, to put that into perspective it's like filling the Sydney Opera House with plastic over 2,187 times per year. This is a big problem that everyone needs to take action on to protect our future on Earth because there is no Planet B.

Being sustainable doesn't mean throwing everything plastic out and starting all over again, it means consciously making decisions about the products you buy and how they affect the environment.

Consider toothpaste, a simple item that often comes with unnecessary packaging and plastic waste. It's an everyday product used by everyone. Let's make a change by using up what we have and choosing eco-friendly options like Bite. A company founded and run by Lindsay McCormick, she was a surf instructor and loves spending time in the water. When she found out that about one billion plastic toothpaste tubes end up in landfills and oceans every year she knew she had to make a change. She created Bite and what a change she has made! In 2022 alone, the company successfully diverted 75,000 pounds of plastic waste and is committed to increasing its impact in years to come. Simple things like making sustainable swaps as things run out do make a big difference.

Many people are actively trying to make a difference like Gretta Thunberg a Swedish environmental activist. From the young age of 15, she started voicing her concerns for the future she worked to address the problem of climate change, founding a movement known as Fridays for Future. She has delivered numerous powerful speeches around the world. One of her most famous lines is, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money, and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"

There are many more examples of sustainable campaigns; established by environmentalist Tim Silverwood ‘The Take 3 for the Sea’ encourages people to pick up three pieces of litter whenever they visit a beach or waterway.  Straw No More is a campaign run by 11-year-old Molly Steer! She has made it her mission to ban single-use plastic straws. Her age just goes to show that anyone can make a difference.  

You don't have to change the world to be an eco-warrior, just simple changes to every day habits can make a big difference in the long run. Things like; using reusable water bottles and using tap water. Thinking before you make a purchase 'Do I need this' 'Is it sustainable' 'Can I find this item somewhere else or borrow it'.  Going to zero-waste grocery stores and living by the saying Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Rethink. Simple changes like this may not affect your daily lives that much but they do a world of good for the planet!

TC is part of the change too with our very own environmental action group that meets on Thursday lunchtime in farm E05. The group has run close swaps food drives and all sorts of things. I encourage anyone interested in protecting the environment to join and help our world be a cleaner place for generations to come. TC also support a toilet paper brand called Who Gives A Crap, a sustainable brand that is looking towards a future with clean waterways and sanitation. They don't use plastic packaging to deliver their products instead opt for cardboard boxes.

With your help we can create a clean future, everyone needs to contribute because there is no planet B.

Think clean & Go green
By Ruby Egan - Douglas
TC Journalist

Toilet paper that builds toilets (whogivesacrap.org)
Greta Thunberg | Biography, Climate Change, & Activism | Britannica
Bite Toothpaste Bits

Guest Journalist Callista Addamo shares her story about the Future Leader’s Academy!

Journey to Samoa

Hi, I’m Callista Addamo, I am one of the school Captains at Templestowe College. I recently went to a camp as a part of young leaders leading in the future, called Future Leader’s Academy, it was in Samoa. What they are about is helping you to develop your overall confidence, setting goals, leadership skills, communication skills, experiencing new culture and being more prepared for your future endeavours.

My experience was awesome. On the first day we did team bonding games but before we started, we got in our syndicate groups that would be the groups for the whole trip, then the games started, that night we ate traditional Samoan food which was yummy. Throughout the week we all learnt something that represents each country, whether it be a song or dance so we could perform it on graduation day. In our syndicate groups we made something that represented our time in Samoa and presented it in front of the other groups and some of the Samoan locals from the church we were staying at.

The next day we wrote our team values, then our individual goal in our diaries, then we went to the beach to clean it up and have a quick swim for our afternoon task we went to the markets and ate lunch, that day was low key chill we were just starting the awesome exciting week. Day 3 was probably my favourite - we got to experience the natural environment by hiking and jumping down the waterfalls into the blazing river that was a great cultural adventure. The next day we went an organic farm and did the Umu experience it’s eco to the land and learnt about their family’s history we ate this dish called faifai that had coconut-cream, yam, eggplant and other veggies it was very nutritious and delicious, in the afternoon again we went to the beach and chilled it was called Fiala and that was the water trench it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Day 5 I was leading the syndicate project because we all have a go at leading activities for the day what we did was come up with some local issues then thought about how to fix them that used a lot of listening to each other and good communication.

On the last day with my syndicate group, we did canoeing then we held a graduation ceremony some important locals came and the students local families. That night we performed our dances or songs to the other syndicate groups and local people - it was a vibe. At the end we wrote messages in each other’s diaries and tears were shed.

See more photos on TC’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Z6FsrtaCp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

By Callista Addamo
Guest TC Journalist

Empowering Students Through Self-Defence: a Helping Heart's event

On Tuesday, July 23, the Helping Hearts club organized a self-defence session with Carmen from ProActivity, aimed at empowering students and enhancing their awareness about personal safety. This engaging session, which took place during lunchtime and lasted an hour, was particularly valuable given the small, dedicated group of FLE2 (Year 9) students . It gave us practical skills and essential knowledge to protect ourselves in various challenging situations.

Throughout the session, Carmen led interactive demonstrations and facilitated in-depth discussions, which helped us develop a deeper understanding of the importance of being prepared and vigilant in different scenarios. The workshop underscored self-defence as an essential tool for personal safety, significantly boosting our confidence and overall sense of security.

One of the most memorable and inspiring aspects of the session was observing the student's engagement and commitment to learning new skills. As we practised various techniques, we actively encouraged one another, which fostered a strong sense of community and mutual respect throguhout the session.

In conclusion, the self-defence session proved to be an invaluable experience for our FLE2s. By the end of the session, it was clear that these newly acquired skills and heightened awareness will benefit us greatly, both in our personal lives and within the school environment. We hope to run another session with ProActivty in the future!

For photos, check out Helping Hearts' instagram page at @helping_hearts_tc

Q&A

How did the self-defence session benefit the students who participated?
Samara - "I think the self-defence positively benefited my confidence when I'm walking around and made me feel super empowered."
Lulu - "I think everyone came away with much more knowledge about what to do if they get caught in a dangerous situation, and it helped kids feel safer about getting on public transport or walking by themselves."
Setiya- "I believe that most people knew how to act but did not know what to do, and the self-defence helped them to get a better knowledge of what to do."
Dara - "The session benefited me greatly by teaching me how to be more aware but also how to deal effectively with a difficult situation."

Did the session raise awareness about personal safety and self-defence among the students?
Samara - "I definitely think it raised awareness about personal safety. It made me more aware of how to be safe on a day-to-day basis"
Setiya- "Yes, and it showed us what we can do in a very stressful moment."
Dara - "Yes definitely, awareness was the main topic discussed. We learnt to be aware of the people around us but also be aware of how to get out of a place if the need arises."

Were there any memorable or inspiring moments from the self-defence session that you can share?
Samara - "My most memorable moment was seeing everyone come together and hearing that our instructor had gone to the Olympics!"
Lulu - "I liked best doing the practical things like learning how to evade someone who is trying to have a go at you."
Setiya- "I love all of it. I can’t choose because all of them are important."
Dara - "When we were told to never stop and never give up. That even in a dangerous situation where it’s hard to keep pushing and fighting back, we shouldn’t stop."

How does this event fit into the broader efforts to promote safety and well-being at TC?

Lulu - "It encourages kids to pay more attention to their safety and treat it as something that is valuable!"
Setiya- "It made us pay more attention to what we're doing or how we act in a situation where our life is at risk."
Dara - "Giving students the confidence to feel safe and secure in a public environment."

If given the chance, would you participate in another self-defence session?
Samara - "Yes, most definitely! I had so much fun. The lessons were very engaging. Our instructor was so knowledgeable and I think she gave everyone who came extra confidence and made everyone feel empowered💕"
Lulu - "I think another session would be really well received and I would certainly like to learn more about self defence."
Setiya- "Absolutely yes it was a very good lesson and I want to learn more because I know there’s more to learn."
Dara -"Yes, I think it was a very beneficial experience and would love to be able to participate in another as we only covered a small amount of self defence techniques"

Subject Selection Creative Piece

Kitti sat beside Salem, leaning his cane against the table in the classroom the two had claimed.

“So,” he said. “We're doing subject selection for 2025. What are you thinking?”

“I literally couldn't care less,” Salem replied, sketching a character on his iPad.

“Okay, fair. I'm kind of interested in the Forensic Science elective.”

“Nerd,” Salem teased.

“What? You don't think crime-solving is cool? Murder mysteries?”

Salem grinned. “Okay, it's a little cool. Only thing I really wanna do is art, though. Look, I'm done.” He held up his iPad for Kitti to see.

“That's awesome,” Kitti smiled. “Anyway, I'm also gonna do Fish. I love fish, they're so cool.”

“Yeah, watching fish swim and move their scales is so stimulating. Wait, we have fish at TC?”

“Yeah? Loads of fish. You should do the class with me.”

“Maybe.”

“What do you wanna do after school?” Kitti asked.

“Exactly what I'm doing right now,” Salem gestured to his drawing.

“Then maybe school is the time to have fun experimenting in other areas before you go off and do the one thing.”

“Nah-uh.”

“Ya-huh.”

“Nah-uh.”

“Ya-huh.”

“Why are you acting like my mum, anyway?”

“I want us both to have fun next year,” Kitti shrugged. “I really think that learning should just be about enjoying yourself.”

Salem sighed, then put his iPad away. “Let's look at these subjects.”

Kitti opened up his laptop, and the two scrolled through the list of electives together.

Salem tapped on the Drama elective and said dramatically, arms out wide, “the stage… it calls me.”

Kitti snickered. “Do it, do it, do it.”

“I guess I will.”

“If you do one of the cooking subjects, you get to eat your food. I wanna do baking.”

“Maybe that could be fun. Ooh, there’s a Lego elective.”

“Ever thought about doing a VCE subject early?”

“There's no way I'd do that.”

“I think I wanna do VCE Philosophy, that sounds interesting. Then I won't have to do as much in year 12. Or I do lots of VCE subjects, and they only put the scores of your top six onto your ATAR.”

“I don't even wanna know what an ATAR is.”

“Fair.”

“Oh, but Pre VCE,” Salem clicked on the Pre VCE Biology button. “Do you get to dissect stuff in this one?”

“Maybe.”

“Then I wanna do that.”

Other people started to walk into the classroom.

Kitti looked at the time on his laptop. “Oh, we’d better head to class. But you see? You have many passions.”

“Sorta? I guess. But hopefully these are fun.”

“If they’re not, you can change them in the first couple of weeks.”

“That’s true. Anyway, have fun in your class,” Salem said as he leaned back in the chair.

“Wait, you’re in the same class,” Kitti stood up, grabbing his cane and Salem’s hand. “Come on.”

“Fine, fine,” Salem groaned as he got up.

By Rory Opie
TC Journalist

Learn all about TC’s 2025 subjects on our subject website - TC Subject Selection Handbook

TC's Tips & Tricks

Navigating school life can be stressful. This term, TC students will be looking at subject selection for 2025 while also needing to balance their energy towards 2024 classes and making time for friendships, community, and self-care. This article aims to provide students with healthy habits, strategies, and tips to help them find balance and thrive both in school and within themselves.

Starting your day with a positive mindset is a great way to begin with success. Our wonderful social worker, Sarah Wassouf, says: "I like to start my day by finding three things I am grateful for. It sets a really nice tone for the day." After that, you're probably feeling hungry, and a good morning starts with a good breakfast! Sometimes the mornings can be too hectic to eat before you have to be out the door. Luckily, here at TC, we have a range of breakfast options available for students: Toasties on Tuesday mornings in the hub, fruit provided through Foodbank in Swing, breakfast club in the canteen café in the mornings, and baked goods provided by local bakeries on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Starting your day well also involves surrounding yourself with people who uplift you instead of trying to change or bring you down. Seek out friendships where you feel like you truly belong and are valued, rather than just fitting in. A good friend listens actively, respects boundaries, and does small acts of kindness for you. Go out of your way to make someone else's day better, whether by taking an interest in their passions or giving a compliment. You will find that people gravitate toward others who are kind, welcoming, and confident. Stevie Knodel one of the lovely youth workers at TC says "The most important thing is communicating and learning how to come to your friends with curiosity instead of assumption".  Giving them the benefit of the doubt. "Instead of jumping to conclusions about why someone may be doing something, try to think the best of them instead. Maybe they are struggling at the moment, or there are often lots of other things going on." says Pip Shearer, another great member of the youth worker team.

High school plays a crucial role in setting you up for an amazing life ahead, so it's essential to make the most of this time. Take the time to review and study subjects where you need more practice, and be open with your teachers and ask for help. If finding time to study at home is a challenge, make a plan. Use a calendar to keep track of due dates, after-school activities, and appointments. Even scheduling 30 minutes for studying and practice can make a difference. Place this plan in a visible spot as a reminder. Stevie suggests learning what works best for you by asking yourself questions like, "What time of day are you most productive? What environment do you work best in? Do you need noise when studying and trying to focus, or is a quiet space better suited?"

Remember to consistently take brain breaks to give your mind a rest from all the wonderful knowledge you are absorbing. If you just keep stuffing your brain, it won't be able to latch onto the concepts and topics you are learning. Give it time to process and absorb the information properly. Find a clean space with minimal distractions to do your work. If you don't have an area like this at home, go to a library after school (the closest one to TC is at the Pines). Write down goals for what you want to complete in study sessions. If you start feeling unmotivated, reflect on those goals and any future goals you may have, like a dream job or lifestyle, and remember what you are aiming for. Try to create a consistent routine; it doesn't have to be very specific, just a rough idea.

Sleep is a big factor in our day-to-day lives. It impacts how we function, our physical and mental health, and our development. We need more vitamin Z’s during our teenage years than almost any other time in our lives. Teenagers need around 8 - 10 hours of sleep per night to function properly. This is because the brain is constantly developing and fine-tuning how it functions, and it doesn't stop developing and maturing until your mid-to-late 20s.

Wellbeing suggests finding what works for you everyone is different, take a break and don't be too hard on yourself, take some time out of your day for self-care and things that make you happy. Wellbeing is here for you for absolutely anything friendship struggles, your brain & emotions and navigating life in general. Just know you are supported and are doing amazing! : )

Thank you to Sarah, Stevie and Pip for taking the time out of their busy schedules to discuss this topic for TCNEWS

By Ruby Egan-Douglas
TC Journalist

Support is available at TC in Swing
Follow the youth workers on Instagram - Templestowe College Youth Workers (@ywattc) • Instagram photos and videos
Kids helpline - 1800 551 800
Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636

Making a Heartfelt Impact: TC's Social Justice Club, Helping Hearts!

Did you know that TC has its very own social justice club? Well, it's true, and it's called Helping Hearts!

Every Thursday at lunchtime, we meet in TC's new Library next to the canteen, to discuss matters that mean a lot to us like gender equality and poverty. We brainstorm ways and implement strategies to make our community feel safer, and educated, and to spread kindness.

Social justice is justice about the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice

A very exciting thing that has been in the works for a while now is finally complete, and we are so excited to share it with the TC community!

We have officially created and launched our Helping Hearts Instagram account, and we are ecstatic to extend ourselves and spread positivity. Our goal was to help advertise the events we run and to help encourage cordiality within the school community.

One of the events we ran last year was a fundraiser at TC's dance showcase for the NGO Kids Under Cover organisation. We raised over $150, which couldn’t have happened without the generous and kind people who made purchases and donations to support our fundraiser and Kids Under Cover. We plan to run many more fundraisers in the future and are open to any suggestions for an event you might have to help support a not-for-profit group or organisation. (If you have any suggestions please feel free to contact us or Cassidy Trousdale who helps facilitate!)

If you haven't heard, we've organized a self-defence class for our FLE2's (Year 9) with Proactivity (https://www.proactivity.com.au/) on the 24th of July.

Created in 2007,  "Proactivity strives to provide quality and impact-driven Physical Activity Incursion programs." Their self-defence incursion incorporates a range of essential motor skill development in the areas of martial arts and karate.

"Our Self Defence and Respectful Relationships workshops are designed around protection skills, safe and unsafe behaviours."

We wanted our peers to learn how to protect themselves and feel empowered. We are so excited about this event and can't wait to learn new skills from the Proactivity team next Tuesday!

Book via compass events, but be quick, there are only 25 spots available!

Link and Resources:
https://www.kuc.org.au/
@proactivityaus + https://www.proactivity.com.au/

By Mietta Palmer
TC Journalist