Next Week @TC

23/08/2024

• Course Counselling Approvals

• Animals Trivia Night - tickets still available

• New Boom Gate From Thursday - Changed Traffic Conditions During the Day

• TCNEWS - Think Clean & Go Green

Course Counselling

On Wednesday we held our course counselling day - parents/carers will have received an email to approve student selections. Please follow the link in the email to approve your students selections. Video below shows the process.

If students were unable to complete their selections next week their community teams will follow up with them next week - deadline for 2025 subjects in next Friday.

Tickets Still Available for Animals Trivia Night

To ensure that you do not miss out on one of the many highlights of the year, please do book your tickets. Here is some key information:

When: Friday August 30th, 6:30pm - 10:00pm.
Where: S-Wing, Templestowe College
Cost: $15 per person.

All funds raised will help enrich our Working with Animals Program. Alongside trivia there will be gold-coin games, a raffle and a silent auction.

BYO food, drinks, a pocket of coins and a winning attitude!

Tickets are sold individually, with tables of up to 10. So grab some pals and form a team. Delicious prizes can be won by the teams rocking the best theme.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: https://www.trybooking.com/CTPWC

New Boom Gate From Thursday - Changed Traffic Conditions During the Day

There will be a new boom gate installed at TC on Thursday next week. This will change traffic conditions as cars will not be able to pass the Sports Centre between 9:15 and 3:20.

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.

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

Last Weeks Announcements

• 2025 Subject Selections Due This Wednesday 21st of August

• Some building works that may impact traffic

• Oval still closed

Some Building Works that May Impact Traffic

Over the next few weeks we have a new automated boom gate being installed. This boom gate will cross over on the driveway near the Sports Centre to prevent cars from driving through our high student pedestrian crossing area during the day. This will still be open for drop off and pick up.

This is being installed over the next few weeks. We hope that this will not provide any disruption at peak times, but traffic may not be able to travel through the school during class times.

Oval Still Closed

Our Oval is starting to look a little bit better, but will take a few more weeks to dry out to a point that cars will be able to use it, as well as students. We anticipate it being closed to cars for the rest of the term at this point. Parking available at Romily Ave.

Previous Weeks Announcements

• Acrylic wanted for technologies department

• August Food Donations for CareNet

• Entry PBL Video Showcase

• Events for young people in Nillumbik

• 2024 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey

• VCE Attendance

• Meet Pi Math Festival

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

August Food Donations for CareNet

Food Donations for CareNet

FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST WE ARE PARTNERING WITH CARENET TO HELP OUR WIDER COMMUNITY!!

Who is CareNet? 
CareNet is a local charity that works to provide meals and food supplies making food more accessible to those who need it. 

For more info please visit https://www.carenet.org.au/

Why are we doing this?
With the rising costs of living it means that more and more people are facing food insecurity. This is a simple step that we can take to help make a difference. The food we donate will contribute directly to supporting our wider community. 

How can you help? 
Can you donate? Ask parents/carers and guardians if you can add some extra items to the weekly shop. Bring the items in and place them front of S Wing where there are boxes/crates 

They are searching for pantry staples such as: 
Cereal 
Pasta and Rice
Meal Kits
Canned Soup 
Crackers 
Sweet Biscuits

Entry PBL Video Showcase

Events for young people in Nillumbik

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

Meet Pi maths Festival

Meet Pi is a non-for-profit organisation ran by a TC student and they are holding a maths festival next month for interested families and students in Year 7 to 9. It’s not just those who already love maths, as it’s suitable for students of all abilities to explore, discover, collaborate and play with fun and accessible puzzles, games, and craft-based problem-solving challenges in a fun, collaborative and non-competitive setting. Book here - Meet Pi

Previous TCNEWS Articles

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