Statements have been emailed to families detailing amounts owing as of 22 July 2024.
Families that do not have a scheduled payment arrangement are reminded that: 75% of 2024 fees should have been paid by 23 July 2024, and accounts should be finalised in full by 23 September 2024.
If you already have a payment plan in place, please retain the statement for your records. Your assistance in ensuring that your account is up to date is greatly appreciated.
Daniel O’Malley - Business Manager
We were very excited to have author, Tristan Bancks, come to speak to us on Monday 5 August, about his novel Detention, which we are studying in English class. Tristan was inspirational, encouraging, and entertaining. I speak for everyone when I say it was truly an amazing and educational talk. Tristan dove deep into the processes of writing books which included hatching ideas, honing them, and executing them onto the paper. He told us the history of his career, not only as an author but as an actor and a videographer.
Tristan's author desires go back generations as his great-great uncle Jimmy Bancks, was the original creator of Ginger Meggs, a comic strip made in 1921. You could say that it ‘boosted’ his creativity levels and his inspiration to make books, comics, movies, and anything in entertainment.
On behalf of the Year 7 students, we would like to thank Tristan and we are extremely grateful for the insight on authors he has given us.
by Maeve Sheehan Year 7
Note from the Learning Resource Centre staff: Tristan Bancks' book, Scar Town, has just won the CBCA Book of the Year award for Younger Readers. We will purchase extra copies and have them available to borrow next week.
The Year 10 Italian excursion to CoAsIt in Carlton, was an educational experience I quite enjoyed. We were greeted by the staff of CoAsIt and then sat down all together with other students of Year 10 Italian from various schools, to listen to guest speakers and watch a video. After that, we were split into groups and encouraged to introduce ourselves, in Italian of course, before doing some activities as groups. Half the groups explored Lygon Street and the other half did activities inside the CoAsIt building. We made a TikTok illustrating a common Italian idiom, many of which none of us had ever heard of before.
We then watched an Italian video and had to answer questions on what we both saw and heard. Then it was time for lunch, for which we went to Ms Frankie's for. We all had a delicious lunch of pizza before heading back to the CoAsIt building. My group then proceeded to do the scavenger hunt along Lygon Street, searching for restaurant names, menus and more. The day ended with us returning to CoAsIt to be dismissed, with many goodbyes to the new friends we had made. Overall, the excursion was enjoyable and I'm glad my class had the opportunity to go and participate in this Italian immersion day.
by Sofia Iemma Year 10
From 24 July to 2 August, MSJ hosted 22 Seirei students from our sister school in Japan, marking the return of our Peace Exchange program after a five-year hiatus. My family was thrilled to welcome an exchange student into our home, eager to learn about Japanese culture and share our Australian traditions.
I had the privilege of being a host sister to Seirei student Mai. We made the most of our time together, enjoying board games, sports, and cooking. Our weekend was packed with activities like mini-golf, an AFL game at the MCG, and a visit to Sovereign Hill.
One of the highlights was when Mai and I prepared a Japanese feast for my family, featuring teriyaki chicken, Japanese curry, okonomiyaki, and more. It was a delicious experience that also allowed us to teach my family some Japanese phrases, with Mai as a patient and polite teacher.
I highly recommend other students and families consider hosting in the future, as it’s a wonderful opportunity to build lasting relationships and friendships.
by Bella Munro Year 10
During the Seirei visit, the LRC staff created a vibrant and welcoming display for our Japanese guests.
This kimono belonged to Japanese teacher Mrs Cathy Donnelly who established the Seirei Peace Program at MSJ. Cathy taught Japanese from 1995 until 2007, when she sadly passed away from an illness. This kimono was donated to the college by her husband, Michael.
Cathy was born in America but moved with her family to Japan when she was three years old. Her father was a Lutheran pastor and part of the occupying army in Japan.
Elements of the Kimono
Crane: symbolise long life, good fortune and if depicted as a pair, a happy marriage. The crane is a symbol of longevity because they are believed to live for 1000 years and have their home in the immortal plane.
Cherry blossoms: are seen as a symbol of new beginnings, beauty and the impermanence of life. They only bloom for a short time but are incredibly beautiful.
Colours:
White or shiro, symbolises purity and truth
Red or aka stands for strength, passion, self-sacrifice, and blood.
Gold or Ki symbolises wealth and prestige
As part of our Book Week celebrations author and illustrator Judith Rossell spoke to Year 11 and 12 Art and Visual Communication Design students about her work, influences and how she managed to create a successful fulltime career as an artist.
Judith also very generously loaned a selection of her sketchbooks, original drawings and finished artworks for a two-week display in the LRC.
Thirty-one dogs, seven cats, one fish, one seal and one lizard were caught reading by their owners and the evidence sent to MSJs Book Week competition, Pets Caught Reading.
First prize was won by Lila Boyd for her gorgeous photo of her loved up labs sharing a book.
Second prize went to Grace Gardiner for her super spooky black-and-white photo of her cat looking a bit witchy.
The staff prize was won by Natasha Feore who caught her dogs chilling out together with a couple of books.
The Year 8 students recently participated in the Future of Work STEM Program at Wyndham Tech School. It was such a unique experience, filled with fun memories and a chance to learn a lot about technology and we felt really lucky to be a part of it.
We were greeted by the robotic dog, Spot and even talked to Peppa, a social humanoid robot who can recognise faces and basic emotions, which made the day even more fun.
On the day, we got to try out over five different activities, including flying drones, designing games, building robots with LEGO, experiencing virtual reality (VR), and even creating our own podcasts. Each activity was so cool and showed us just how exciting technology can be.
The people at Wyndham Tech School were really friendly and guided us through the day, showing us everything their awesome tech college has to offer and helping us with the challenges. We all realised how fun technology is, and some of us even started thinking about future careers in tech!
We all learned a lot, picked up some new skills, and had an amazing time. Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity – it was definitely a day to remember!
By Alexis Velic and Emily Peterson - 8G
