Colac Secondary College would like to congratulate Tapanga Barnhart on being awarded Young Citizen of the Year. Tapanga’s ongoing support to both the Colac and greater community has been outstanding. Tapanga volunteers at Colac Driver Reviver, CFA, State Youth Council and Scouts. As a Ven-turer in 2017, Tapanga travelled to Fiji to help construct a new Dining Hall and mosaic en-trance for a boarding school. She spent a couple of hours each week helping out a local family with triplets. Her service to the community goes above and beyond. Well done Tapanga on your amazing service to our community!

This year we welcomed a number of new staff to CSC. We would like to welcome Jarrad Cook - Learning Leader at Year 7-9, Michelle Winch - Science & Biology teacher, Chris McKay - English & Humanities teacher, Sam Potter - Lab assistant in the Science department and Debbie Belfield - Tech assistant in the food department. We also welcome back Kate Geary & Jennifer Colbron from family leave.

OFFICE HOURS - The office will re-open on Thursday 25th January, 2018 at 9.00am. BOOK COLLECTION - Thursday 25th January, 2018 from 9.00am - 5.00pm in the Performing Arts Building. UNIFORM SHOP - Open 9.00am - 5.00pm on Thursday 25th January, 2018. STUDENTS RETURN - All classes commence on Tuesday 30th January, 2018

It is with great pleasure that I can inform the school community that Kate Wilson and Nick Boylan will be our 2018 School Captains. Over the past 5 years, both Nick and Kate have been outstanding ambassadors for the school and have always displayed exemplary behaviours and attitude. Their official leadership responsibilities started last Saturday where they represented the school at the Colac Otway Shire Remembrance Service.

I would also like to congratulate the other candidates who expressed interest in the position. It was a very strong field of candidates and I am confident that this will assist the school in setting up 2018 for a very positive year.

The year 10 Magic Meals class held a staff luncheon, where they cooked and served delicious meals to invited staff.

On November 13 Ms Lidgerwood’s Year 10 Ag / Hort class, plus three year 11 students, went on a wonderful excursion to Raven’s Creek Farm, located in Moriac.

Hayden, the owner, showed us around his amazing enterprise which included: geese, sheep, pigs, cows and chickens. The farm produces meat, natural honey, free range eggs and seasonal vegetables which they use in their kitchen garden. Raven’s Creek Farm also sell their products to the public and other cafes.

All in all it was a great experience for everyone.

For further information visit: www.ravenscreekfarm.com.au

By Dakota Tucker

Today we held celebrations for RU OK day? The idea behind RU OK day is to inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with people around them and support anyone struggling with life. We celebrated this by holding a casual dress day, a sausage sizzle and raffles for the school community. Students and staff were encouraged to wear black with a ‘hint’ of yellow. It was great to see everyone getting into the theme of the day, and asking RU OK?

On Tuesday, August 29, three Netball teams travelled to Geelong for the Victorian Schools Championships.

Although our teams were not successful on the day, each and every team member showed a great amount of team spirit and respect for each other and totally enjoyed the whole day.

After tryouts and many weeks of training the following girls represented Colac Secondary College:

Year 7/8 team (played 5 games): Ebony Armistead, Mikhaela Rowarth, Peggy McGee, Dakodah Nowell, Monica Smart, Kara Tyrer, Hailey Ladhams and Pheonix Smith. Coached by Kat Featherstone

Year 9/10 team (played 5 games): Amber Skurka, Brooke Hawkins, Hayley Farnes, Shakia Pearce, Caitlyn Guy, Shanae O’Donoghue, Emily Sproules, Sharni Barry and Dana Lucas. Coached by Clare Neal.

Senior team (played 7 games): Jamisyn Holt, Keely Holt, Claudia Wisbey, Elicia Conway, Tayla Robertson, Sophie Bolton and Abbey Hall. Coached by our Deakin Uni student teachers Miah and Hamish with help from Mr Treweek.

Thank you to our Umpires for the day Claudia McLaren and Georgia Robinson

Also a huge thank you to Nat Simmonds from Bank of Melbourne and Tim Hassett from Sporting Club Assist for our new Netball dresses, they looked amazing on the day.

Last Tuesday our year 12 Biology students had the opportunity to see this process in action when they inserted the same jelly fish jelly gene into E coli bacteria. We were able to bring the bacteria back to Colac Secondary College and incubate the genetically altered bacteria for 48 hours to create our own genetically modified organism (GMO) that contains a transgene.

On Tuesday, August 29, the year ten students attended a health day. The day included learning about mental health /anxiety, sexual health, coping with trauma etc.

During the first session we were split into groups based on our personalities. We then had Terry Woodcroft, Julie Halifax and staff from the Youth Health Hub, talk about issues in society involving our age group and the people that are there to help.

During the second session we took part in physical activities in the new stadium. These included: 15 minute games of ‘tug of war’, ‘balloon train’, ‘cross the river’ and noughts and crosses using hoops. These activities were to help us learn more skills such as: working in teams and communication. After these activities we had a BBQ lunch in the library courtyard, as well as banana smoothies.

During the final two sessions we all had different activity stations where we learnt about contraception, gambling, drugs and alcohol. We then participated in fitness activities of yoga and boxing. We also learnt about the our taste buds and the pleasures of eating different foods.

Overall it was a very educational day, where year 10 students had the chance to learn about health, whilst enjoying themselves.

By Mia Carson

The theme for book week this year is 'Escape to Everywhere'

To celebrate, library passports with a series of book related activities have been developed for the Year 7 and 8 students. A Book Week parade was held today with many of our students dressing up as their favorite Book character. First place in the parade was Gena McLeod ''Queen of Hearts', 2nd place was Teagan Fiscallini 'Wonder Woman' and 3rd place went to Tahlia Sell 'Dorothy'.

- Gun Handling and Firearm Safety Course, Friday the 18th of August

Weather conditions on the day were miserable. The temperature was 8 degrees, minus the wind chill factor, caused by a 15knot breeze and heavy showers falling intermittently throughout the day. There was some talk earlier in the week about whether we should cancel the excursion because of the expected weather conditions. Staff and students discussed this issue for a short period and decided unanimously that this was good training for action in the field as students would need to consider adjusting their preparation and function for different conditions.

Given the correct information and support, dealing with the inclement weather would help develop team work skills and build strength and resilience within our students. Every time we go Hunting and Fishing it is not necessarily a nice warm sunny day.

The first activity on arrival was to unload the bus and help get the fire going. After this we set up the room for our Firearms Safety briefing. During the briefing a number of safety issues were discussed and demonstrated.

Senior students worked with and mentored junior students in all the information and practices discussed on the day as everyone honed their shooting skills on clay targets that imitated different game movements in the field.

It was great to have more girls involved in our excursion and fantastic to see parents and grandparents at the range, braving the elements to help us encourage, build and educate these young adults in their endeavors to improve their sporting and personal development.

Everyone had a fantastic day especially Gilly’s dog “Sandy” who practiced some of her own hunting techniques as she sneakily ate several sandwiches from students that were unfortunate enough to lower their hands whilst holding their lunch.

Colac Secondary College would like to thank the Colac Field and Game Club and club members Terry McCrickard and Geoff O’Dwyer for their expert training and the use of Club facilities. Thanks also to Terry Woodcroft from Co Pilot - Victoria Police for his support and training and Holts Gun Shop for their ongoing support. Our school is very fortunate indeed to have the community support from everyone involved as we work to educate our students to achieve the best results possible.

Last Friday night the Senior Ball was held at COPACC. This was an exceptionally enjoyable night and all the staff and students involved had a great night. I would like to congratulate all the students involved for the way they conducted themselves during the evening. I would like to acknowledge John Ingram and Jade Elborough for organising the evening and the staff and parents who assisted on the night.

King & Queen for the evening were Bem MacFarlane & Lauren Mayer, Prince & Princess were Kira Armstrong & Keely Holt.

On Wednesday, July 19th, CSC’s Yr 7 and Yr 8 boys’ badminton teams travelled to Ballarat for the Greater Western Region Badminton Championships. Our Yr 7 team consisted of Hunter Togni, Austin Arnold, Jayden Bell and Brodie Kilfoyle and our Yr 8 team consisted of Sohail Ali, Kai Broomfield, Liam Cunnington, Angus Zdrojewski and Liam Vesey.

The tournament was conducted in a round robin format with the Yr 7s playing 4 rounds against Yuille, Beaufort, Horsham and Mt Clear Secondary Colleges and the Yr 8s playing only two games against Ballarat High School and Horsham Secondary College.

The Yr 7 team performed exceptionally well, winning all four of their matches to take out the Year 7 Western Region Championship. All four boys played consistently throughout the tournament and they were clearly the best team on the day. They can be justifiably proud of their achievements.

The Yr 8 team also had a good day out. They suffered a narrow loss to Ballarat and had a comfortable win against Horsham to finish second in their pool, only narrowly missing the final in their division.

The Year 7 team of Hunter, Austin, Jayden and Brodie will now represent CSC at the State Finals on September 19th, at MSAC in Melbourne. We wish them the best of luck.

At the end of last term 23 students from our Fishing Club had an early start to their school day. The students left at 7.00am and were off to Warrnambool to try their luck at catching fish in the Hopkins River, as part of their extra-curricular education here at Colac Secondary College. The students have been attending regular meetings all year and together with staff have discussed and organised the excursion. Information about the types of fish, relevant bait, correct tackle and fishing rigs were the main topics mentioned during the meetings. Students also looked at: Catch and Release fishing, Pack Out everything you Pack In (Leave no footprint Excursions) and keep only correct size fish. Colac Police Youth Officer Terry Woodcroft attended meetings and spoke about Community expectations of student groups in public and students representing themselves and the school whilst in the community Water Safety and being aware of your environment were also discussed by staff members: Stephen Gill, Michael Cole and Emily Donald. Although only a few fish were caught and released the Fishing Club members had a great day and were able to work in a new environment to improve their techniques, skills and knowledge of fishing. The Fishing Club students would like to thank the school and everyone concerned for helping; especially their parents for bringing them to school at 6.30am. T. Missen, N. Riches, S. Gill

On Tuesday July 11th, twelve students and two staff members including me, departed Colac Secondary College for a 10 day learning tour to Malaysia. The first component of the tour was a 5 day home stay and school visit to our sister school, SABS. Our students were spread across 12 different families and immersed themselves in the Malaysian culture. The school day started at 7.30 in the morning and often would conclude at 5pm at night. During the day, our students would attend classes, undertake cultural lessons, language classes and participate in a wide variety of different activities. At night students would go home to their family. This life was very different to life in Colac due to food, religion, beliefs and expectations. The school visits highlighted lots of differences in attitudes towards school and school structure. Malay students would spend hours completing homework each night, attend classes with an average size of 45 students and work in poorly maintained buildings. The school experience was very positive for our students and they conducted themselves exceptionally well. The second component of the tour involved travelling as a group to major tourist destinations. We visited Kuala Lumpur where we visited Batu caves, the Petronis Towers, KL Tower and spent some time shopping and relaxing. After a busy two weeks, we arrived home late last week to be welcomed by lots of very excited families. I would like to congratulate all the students involved in the tour. All students were exceptional ambassadors for Colac Secondary College and Australia. Their positive attitude and willingness to give their best effort on all occasions made me very proud. I enjoyed every component of the trip due to the way all students challenged themselves. I have already started to plan a return trip within the next 3 years due to the overwhelming success.

On Monday, June 5th, a group of students went with Ms Sauro and Ms Murfitt to participate in the Western Region Cross country in Warrnambool at the Deakin University campus.

Everyone did very well, finishing in the top third of their age group. A big congratulations to Zach Rowarth who finished 3rd in the 16 years’ age group, and for making it into the State Cross Country competition to be held at LaTrobe University, Bundoora.

Even though it was raining and wet, and the track was full of mud, overall a great effort was made by everyone.

By Amber Skurka and Brooke Hawkins

On June 1st, a group of 29 students and 4 members of staff travelled to Melbourne to participate in the P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) Program at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Once there, the students listened to a presentation about safety on the roads. The group saw the possible consequences of drink driving, driving under the influence of drugs, texting whilst driving and passenger distractions and what it can do to a person’s life. Then, they split into three smaller groups for tours around different hospital departments, visiting the Emergency Department, the Trauma Wards and the Intensive Care Unit, learning more about what happens behind the scenes. The groups then joined back together to hear from a doctor from the Emergency Department and an Ambulance Victoria Paramedic, telling about their every day jobs.

After a fulfilling lunch, the group heard a personal story from a post-trauma patient, Brent Alford, informing the group about his ‘three warnings’ with alcohol. He explained how having a brain injury from his accident has effected his life and told of his long road to recovery.

Overall, it was a very interesting and informative experience, learning about the consequences of dangerous driving, physical violence, king hits and the results of making the wrong choices in life.

Thank you to everyone who came. (They showed great dedication by being at school before 6am in the morning!)

Huge thanks to Sue Ryan, Margi Ellison, Julie Holloway, Xavier Davis and Amy Quarrell for their help in organising the day.

By Zahra Weston and Tapanga Barnhart

For more information on this fantastic program please go to:

https://www.thermh.org.au/patients-visitors/services-clinics/trauma-care/party-program

On Wednesday 31st May, year 7 students visited Deakin University at Waurn Ponds. For most, it was their first experience visiting a university.

On arrival, we were met by a group of Deakin Student Ambassadors who hosted us for the day. After breaking into small groups, we began with a walk and talk tour of the campus looking at facilities and talking to the ambassadors about studying at university. The students asked a large range of questions to help them understand what university is like.

Following the tour, students were sent off in small teams on a Mission Possible challenge to decipher a series of cryptic questions about university life.

We then enjoyed lunch in the Deakin Food Court and there was also time for students to use the impressive sportingfacilities, throwing hoops, kicking soccer and footballs and using the outside gym facilities.

In the afternoon students participated in one of four activities, including Creative Writing, a Law workshop or one of two Engineering workshops. After an enjoyable few hours at Deakin it was time to return to CSC.

Staff members included: Susi Lang (Year 7 Leading Teacher), Kerri Bauer (Year 7 HUSH Teacher), Fiona Jellie (Year 7 HUSH Teacher), Tara Quarrell and Trish Pownceby (Learning Support) and Kaye Potter (Careers Manager). Assistant Principal, Mr Davis joined the group for a short time in the morning before returning to school.

NETBALL

On May 17, three netball teams went head to head with Apollo Bay, Lorne Aireys Inlet and Trinity over at the Central Reserve for our Coastal Winter Sport competition.

The morning began with our Senior Girls team (Year 11 & 12) who played extremely well but were unsuccessful against our neighbouring school Trinity. A Big thank you to the girls who played: Claudia Wisbey, Keely Holt, Jamisyn Holt, Tayla Robertson, Murphy Floyd, Elicia Conway and Georgia Lucas.

The weather throughout the whole day was below average, with no sight of sunshine and non-stop rain. But that didn’t stop Team A and Team B (Year 9 & 10) who put in endless effort each game they played, and showed great sportsmanship towards all the other teams.

Team A had a successful day winning 4 out of 5 games, with their one loss against Trinity. I would like to thank the following girls for playing: Brooke Hawkins, Amber Skurka, Hannah Knight, Jasmine Jenkins, Caitlyn Guy, Hayley Farnes, Shanae O’Donoghue, Emily Sproules and Dana Lucas.

Team B however were not as successful, but had games with many close margins and coming out with a win against Apollo Bay. I would like to acknowledge the following girls for playing: Abbey Hall, Ashlyn Beckett, Leah Graham, Grace Buchanan, Jasmine Fowler, Eliesha Cazaly, Kiesha Smith, Mia Carson and Sophie Bolton.

Lastly, a HUGE thank you to Katrina Featherstone, Georgia Lucas and Elicia Conway for coaching, Claudia McLaren for umpiring, Zahra Weston and Sharni Barry as team managers, and Zahra, Caitlyn, Abbey and Ashlyn for filling in for Apollo Bay and Lorne.

FOOTBALL

Our Intermediate Football side started the day short in numbers and had to call on a few year 8 students to fill in. Our first game was against a combined Lorne-Aireys Inlet / Apollo Bay side. The opposition contained much larger bodies and a number of these players have senior football experience with their home club. We matched the opposition in effort and intensity for the first 10-15 minutes and scores were changing frequently. Hugh McCrae was strong in the forward line with a couple of goals. Trey Wheadon and Thomas Swayn were also finding plenty of the ball in the midfield. In the 2nd half, the opposition kicked out to a 3-goal lead and in wet conditions it was going to be very hard to chase down. In the end, we went down by 4 goals, but our effort and intensity was superb.

Our second game was against Trinity with the conditions deteriorating throughout the day. Again, the opposition were much bigger bodied and more experienced. However, this did not deter our boys from lifting in their effort from the earlier game. Scores were hard to come by and goal-sneak Grant McLaren scored our only goal for the first half. Harry Jarvis was solid in defence, along with Trey and Thomas working hard again. The opposition again kicked away in the second half to win the match by 8 goals. Our boys need to be congratulated for their effort and conduct on the day.

A big thank you to Heather McCallum for her hard work in establishing and maintaining the kitchen garden next to the Food Technology kitchens.

It began with lots of different herbs being planted as well as some vegetables and a lemon and lime tree. As native food plants and how they are used are part of the new Year 11 Food Studies course and Year 10 Global Goodies subject Heather has added a selection of edible natives. These include Warrigal greens, Bush peppermint, Mountain Pepper, Lemon Myrtle, Black Plum, Native Guava, Pulsane, Davidson's Plum, White Elder, Prickly Currant Bush, Murrong Yam Daisy, Pig face and Austral Storks Bill.

Heather has also started a book which documents all relevant information regarding the indigenous plants. Both the plants and book will be a great resource for our students. Thanks again to Mrs. Heather McCallum.

Mrs. Karen Tomlinson

On Tuesday May 23rd, we had a team of female footballers travel down to Apollo Bay to participate in the Coastal Sport Division Competition. Due to a few late withdrawals, we were left with just 17 players, which would not allow for any interchanges during the games.

Our first game was against a combined Lorne and Apollo Bay team. We started out well with Keira Coverdale exerting her dominance in the ruck, while Emily Sproules worked hard in the midfield. Jasmin Fowler was also finding plenty of the ball and it was Ebony Armistead who found space in our forward line to kick our first goal. Brooke Hawkins was really solid in the backline as well. At half time, a few positional changes were made. None more damaging than moving Brooke to the forward line, where she kicked two goals in 5 minutes. Bianca Perry also managed to kick a beautiful goal on the run. The end score was CSC 5 2 32 def Lorne/A-Bay 0 2 2.

Our second game was against the Trinity A side. Our girls again started off really well and matched the more experienced Trinity side in the tackling and skill level. The ball found its way into our forward line on a number of occasions, but we just couldn’t find the goal we were searching for. We again tried some positional moves, and this time Brooke’s marking in the backline would have saved 5-6 goals in the second half. The end result did not go our way, but the girls did an amazing job considering the opposition consisted of players from the Colac Youth Girls Team.

Our third and final game was against the Trinity B side – who again consisted of experienced players. We started the game off well again, and it was Ebony again who found the goals in the first half. Scores were close at half-time, however our girls were out on their feet due to having no rotations! Eventually we went down in a gallant effort.

The day was finished off with Melbourne FC Player and Colac export Shelley Scott presenting a trophy to the winning side and also presenting a medallion for the player of the day. Brooke Hawkins was Runner-Up in the MVP, which was a great reward for her effort and skill level shown.

All of the girls had a great day and it was a great experience for them to play a sport they had never played before.

Thirty five Year 9 students trekked from Cape Otway Lighthouse to Aire River West Campground for an overnight camp, then continued onto Castle Cove.

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the cross country on. The enthusiasm and effort by all competitors was the highlight and it made for an enjoyable afternoon. I would also like to thank the staff who supervised the checkpoints and provided encouragement for all of our competitors. The individual winners were recognised at the assembly on Friday.

At different times throughout the year, we get offers of support from members of the community. The offers and donations vary and quite often it is difficult to acknowledge everyone who supports the school. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a recent donation. Thank you to Judith Malone for the donation of a vehicle belonging to her late husband, Ed Malone. Ed was a local A Grade mechanic who studied at Colac Technical School and wanted to donate his vehicle for education purposes. The vehicle, a 1996 Ford Falcon, will support our automotive students to refine their skills whilst working in the Trade Training Centre. Our College really appreciated the support of the Malone family, thank you.

70 enthusiastic year seven students embarked on an exciting camp adventure to begin term two. The destination was the coastal town of Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula. After a smooth transition to secondary school, students were given the opportunity to build on existing friendships and meet new peers from other home groups while participating in a broad range of team building and adventure activities. The activities included Mountain Biking, Pizza Making, Marine Discovery and Beach Games. During the evening, Minute to Win It Challenges, Talent Quests and Campfires provided students with great opportunities to recognise the talents of their colleagues in a friendly out of school environment. A large number of staff dedicated their time towards the camp to ensure all students had a fantastic time.

Friday April 21, 2017, 9:00am; 17 students from Yr. 11 and 12 Senior History classes (and one teacher) braved the inclement weather and ventured across to the Colac Cemetery.

An interesting – or morbid – excursion you might think. But no, we were on a mission!

Warren McKean of the Geelong Cemetery Trust had contacted Colac Secondary College to see if we would be interested in assisting cemetery staff in the placement of an Australian flag next to the graves of ex-military personnel. When asked, students willingly volunteered to be involved.

This is a task that the cemetery staff have done over the last two years, since the 2015 centenary of World War 1 as an Anzac Day memorial. I had visited the cemetery on both occasions and was impressed with the effort and effect that so many flags made. It also reflects how many people of our city and area have been willing to stand-to and defend our nation in times of emergency and threat.

We began with a short talk on how cemeteries work, an OH&S briefing and an explanation of the ‘how to’ in our role in the flag process. Then it was down to work.

By 12:30 we had helped place over 900 flags across the cemetery. It wasn’t three straight hours of toil – a lovely morning tea was provided.

In this, the third year it has been done, it is still a magnificent and moving sight.

I am so impressed with the effort and determination our students put into the project. They have given something back to the community of Colac that I don’t think we can easily measure, except perhaps in their own words: ‘that was cool’, ‘did you read that grave stone’, ‘this one served in both wars!’, ‘I didn’t know there would be so many people’.

In life we get to learn so many different types of lessons. Today 17 students experienced something that not many people can, and they were appreciative of the opportunity. Each participant received a windcheater emblazoned with the Anzac Project and Rising Sun logo, as well as that of the Geelong Cemetery Trust to remember their involvement.

I would like to thank Warren and the cemetery staff for giving us the opportunity to be involved. We all worked so well together, determined that every military grave will be remembered and honoured with a flag to show their service.

To the students, I commend you for your work, compassion, interest and dedication to the task.

Mr. Tomlinson

On Wednesday night we held our annual Open Night, where a large number of families and prospective students visited the College. Families had the opportunity to meet staff and students, ask questions, view work from across the College and get information on the curriculum and the wide range of programs offered. The evening was a huge success due to the hard work by staff and an outstanding effort by all the students involved. I would like to congratulate all students involved for being outstanding ambassadors for our school.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the official opening of the Bluewater Fitness Centre. Following the opening, we will now plan for our PE classes to begin in the stadium from day 1 of term 2. This is a great facility and will significantly enhance our PE program. I would like to thank all the staff, students and their families for their patience over the last 4 years.

Today we had a great day at the Athletics Sports. Well done to all the students involved on making the day very enjoyable, the attitude and commitment by all students who attended was exceptional. There were some great individual performances on the day and I would like to wish all students who qualified for the next stage the best of luck.

We saw a record number of competitors take part in our annual House Athletics Carnival. With the temperature nearing 30 degrees, our students did a marvellous job throughout the day. The day would not have happened without the work of all our staff in manning the stations and undertaking jobs for long periods of time. Our house captains also did a fantastic job organising their teams and preparing for the event.

The team standings were as follows:

HESSE 1,554.6

OTWAY 1, 374.5

MURRAY 1,125.5

BARWON 1,009.2

Last Friday, 30 CSC students travelled to Apollo Bay to compete in the Coastal Swimming. We competed against Apollo Bay, Lorne-Aireys Inlet, Lavers Hill and Trinity College.

Our students did a fantastic job with a number of students gaining qualification to the Greater Western Region Swimming, which will be held on Friday 24th of March in Ballarat. Well done to Thomas Brentwood-Balcombe who won the Age Champion for the Senior Boys.

On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th March,19 students attended the surf lifesaving familiarisation days at Wye River with Michael Barrand and Kaye Potter. The days were held to give students, doing surf lifesaving in semester 2, the opportunity to become familiar with the setting and environment of the Bronze Camp to be held at the end of the year. Students watched the set-up and pack-up of the beach patrol and learnt basic water skills. Most of all, despite the rough conditions, the students had a lot fun using the club equipment.

From the 15th to the 21st of January, I was lucky enough to attend the Lady Somers Camp, also known as ‘Big Camp’. Big Camp is an experience like no other.

I was one of 100 girls chosen from over 300 applicants. I was put into a group with 19 other girls around my age. They were all strangers to me, from different backgrounds, locations and schools. There were the loud ones, the quiet ones, the ones who are normally leaders and the ones who let people lead them, the athletic, the less active and some who have a slight disability.

I was pushed past my comfort zone and to the point of exhaustion. You are put in unique and challenging situations that show that you can do more than you think. You live and work together as a team and learn to accept and encourage other people’s strengths and differences.

I have come out of the Lady Somers Camp with19 new sisters and I now know that

when I think I have reached my limit and can’t do it anymore that I actually have it in me to go on. I strongly recommend and encourage anyone to apply for these camps. Even if you don’t think you could go to a camp where you don’t know anyone, still send your application in. I didn't think I would be able to do it because I was very quiet and lacking confidence but I came out with great memories and friends and learnt a lot about myself. So just apply and

if you get in just “Play The Game”. I look forward to going back again next year as a staff member.

Student Leadership is an important aspect of our school community. I would like to congratulate the following students on being selected as a leader for their year level.

 School Captains: Ebony Kerr & Connor Buchanan  Year 7 – Peggy McGee & Connor Chapman

 Year 8 – Kai Broomfield & Heidi Veitch  Year 9 – Jonah Ivelja & Mackenna Huth  Year 10 – Stephanie Elabde & Troy Missen  Year 11 – Georgia Lucas & Tobi Mason  Year 12 – Maddison Huth & Jack Kettle

Our Student Leaders will work together to form the Student Leadership Council (SLC). The SLC will implement programs, influence school policy and ensure the overall school community is always improving.