Edition 1, Term 1 2021
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FROM THE PRINCIPAL
What a great joy it has been to be back at school in a relatively unaffected way to start 2021. While COVID’s movements have challenged us a little, and restrictions on sporting crowds and functions are a disruption, the important thing is that our students have been able to live full school lives so far. We continue to monitor matters daily and will endeavour to give notice on any changes to plans in as timely a way as possible.
Visiting sporting games over the weekend, it is clear that our boys are proud members of their school community and, through the vehicles of Tug of War and an early HPAF rehearsal, that our newest Senior School representatives at Year 7 are ‘very Trinity’ already. In the Junior School there have been myriad activities and occasions promoting connectivity, and it has been warming to witness. That sense of belonging is important for all members of our community and we will continue to endeavour to create strong networks across our community as ever.
Those who visited Bulleen to watch sport, or those driving past at the moment, will have noticed significant activity on site. The North East Link Project (NELP) is underway with their early works, and the Marles Playing Fields (Bulleen) form an important geographical part of the construction process for the tunnel. Part of the process has created a little confusion as the new entry to our site (which is for construction vehicles only) has been so well made that many have assumed it is the public entry point! Please use the normal entrance until we advise of any changes. While there is much information, and ongoing refinement to plans, the short version is that North East Link will be tenants of ours for up to eight years on the western part of our property. From the current movement of sewerage lines through to the launch of the tunnel itself, we will have aspects of our normal Bulleen usage compromised, but the process itself ensures that we are compensated for the disruption. It has meant that we have been able to develop a Masterplan for the site that includes significant capital investment that we might not otherwise been able to accomplish in such a short time.
Please see the artist’s impression that reflects the current vision for the site into the future. The nature of major infrastructure projects, the methodology employed and the implications ‘down the line’ mean that there will undoubtedly be some changes along the way. As further action is confirmed, we will keep you informed.
As this newsletter indicates it has been a busy start to 2021. It has been good to see people at sport and around the school, and I look forward to seeing those who are able to join us for the Parent Welcome Evening this Friday.
Adrian Farrer
Principal
From the ELC
The Early Learning Centre staff and I extend a warm welcome to all our new ELC families and welcome back our returning families for 2021. We hope that you had a happy and restful break and we look forward to an exciting, busy year full of learning and fun.
The ELC has been a buzz of excitement over the past week as the children transition into their new learning environments. The staff and I look forward to getting to know both you and your child and we hope to create many opportunities for collaboration with you as the term, and the year unfolds.
The ELC values a culture of open communication. I am always available for a chat and invite you to make an appointment to see me if you need to. Building strong relationships within our ELC provides a strong social bond and sense of belonging.
Our space is one full of wonder and joy, a space that offers uninterrupted time for children to play with purpose, to explore, to engage, to share thoughts and ideas. A space of rights and differing perspectives where there is room for dialogue and critical thinking and a place that challenges them and values practice and knowledge. A place to be and most importantly, a place to play.
Naomi Wright
Director of the Early Learning Centre
JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS
We’ve had a fantastic start to the year in the Junior School and we wanted to particularly shout out the warmest of welcomes to families who are new to Trinity this year.
Earlier in the week, we held our Parent Information Evening via video conferencing. As I moved into each virtual room, it was great to see our teaching staff providing important details to our parent community, and parents asking lots of excellent questions during the sessions.
In the Junior School, the boys want their parents to be involved, and we actively encourage you to do just that. Once children move into their senior years of schooling, they’re less enamoured with having mums, dads and carers around so it’s good to leverage our time together early on.
Your son will certainly get more out of his Trinity experience if he is present. Please ensure he arrives on time for the start of the school day (preferably by 8.20am), and refrain from booking holidays during term time. It’s true that children will benefit from adventures in new destinations, but they will miss valuable learning opportunities while they are away. Please make the most of the school holidays throughout the year.
At Trinity, we work with parents to create happy and engaged boys. We want all children to enjoy coming to school and we strive to ensure that all children experience growth academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. Every child deserves success, and we’re here to help them find it.
At our start of year assembly for the whole of the Junior School, I spoke to the boys about our values, and there are a couple of things I’d like to them to focus on this year.
The first is to be creative and innovate. Everyone has a chance to make the world a better place and to make a difference to others. We talked about starting small by thinking about family, friends, school, community and seeing where their ideas take them. We want them to let their teacher know, let me know, and let’s see what happens.
The second area of focus is lifting up those around you, by being a light for others. Be kind and deliberate in words and actions. If someone they know is going through a tough time with something, we want them to be the person that encourages them, and lets them know that they’re not alone. The person you lift up with kind words and actions, may be the same person who lifts you up when you need help too.
We’re off to a great start in 2021. A new year, filled with the promise of better things to come.
Grant Nalder
Head of the Junior School
SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS
Welcome back to all students
Our first Senior School Assembly for the year was held last Monday. It was a wonderful occasion, when we had the opportunity to gather together all year levels for the first time in many months and to celebrate the start of the school year.
Study Night
Study Nights have commenced for students in Years 11 and 12. On designated nights, the boys can remain at school, order a meal from the cafeteria (dinner is served at 6.00pm) and then continue their study in the Tudor Centre from 6.30-9.00pm. These Study Nights are supervised voluntarily by teachers and give students an environment to study independently or in groups. The senior boys have already been contacted regarding these opportunities.
House Tug-of-War
The annual Year 7 House Tug-of-War was held on the Birrell Oval last Wednesday, with all eight Houses eager to demonstrate their strength and strategy. After the eliminations, the final was between Merritt and Hindley, with Merritt emerging victorious. Well done to all students who participated in this event. The next activity on the House calendar is the House Performing Arts Festival (HPAF), with rehearsals beginning this week.
All Year 12 students have been invited to attend the inaugural breakfast this Friday (12 February) morning at the MCG. It is an early start (6.45am), but students will have the opportunity to hear The Honourable Josh Frydenberg MP share his insights on leadership in our communities. Students will return to school by bus in time for classes to begin at 9.45am.
Year 8 Camps
8A and 8B left on Monday for a new camp program that now visits the Gippsland Lakes and Metung area. All Year 8 camps will be completed by 5 March.
Me and UooUoo Art Trail
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne, the RCH Foundation commissioned one hundred artists to design and paint a UooUoo (pronounced You You) sculpture as part of the Me and UooUoo Anniversary Art Trail. The public art event has encouraged communities to reconnect with their cities and visit the sculptures on display around the streets of Melbourne and Geelong. Senior Art teacher, Zara McKenzie, was one of the one hundred artists selected to design and paint one of the UooUoo sculptures. Her design ‘Joy’ brings together a world of colourful forms and patterns that represent all things joyful in the community.
You can visit ‘Joy’ on the forecourt outside Luna Park in Melbourne until the end of March 2021. The sculptures will be auctioned off at the end of their display period to raise funds for the RCH Foundation.
Susan Hill
Deputy Principal, Head of the Senior School
Welcome to the 2021 academic year!
The first phase of Continuous Online Reporting (COR) in the Senior School was launched in 2018 to provide parents and students with access to information about their academic progress in almost real time. After a successful trial during 2020, we are now preparing to roll out the second phase of COR.
Phase Two of COR sees the introduction of targeted comments about a student’s various units of study within a subject via our online reporting system. For example, during a typical semester, a Year 8 student would study the following units as part of their Mathematics course: ratios, equations, probabilities, graphs, and problem solving. As a parent, you will now receive comments from your son’s teacher about his progress in each of these units. These targeted comments will replace the summative comments you would be used to receiving on the end-of-semester report. It is our expectation that for each subject you would receive approximately four targeted comments per semester.
So, a continuous report with targeted comments is a report that builds throughout the semester and provides you with ongoing assessment of how your son is progressing. At the end of Terms 1 and 3, you will be able to view your son’s Approaches to Studies via COR, which will serve as the school’s interim report. This information can be accessed via Trinity Connect. In Terms 2 and 4, digital reports are produced and can be accessed via Trinity Connect. One page will be dedicated to each subject, containing the Targeted Comments completed as the semester unfolded.
In summary:
- Parents receive information about their son’s learning in (almost) real time.
- It encourages more regular dialogue between parents, teachers, and students.
- Report data is more readily available to be used by teachers to inform the next steps of student learning.
- Students can act on the feedback from summative assessment and use it to inform future learning.
- The report and its process is more meaningful when compared to end-of-semester reporting because of its ongoing nature.
Ben Hinves
Director of Teaching and Learning
Debating and Public Speaking 2021
Students in Years 9-12 are invited to sign up for the DAV SENIOR DEBATING COMPETITION. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve debated before or not, the opportunity to learn and improve your debating skills is the objective! Sign-ups were held on Monday 8 February, but expressions of interest will be accepted until Wednesday 10 February.
There are five rounds throughout the season and all debates are held at Camberwell Boys’ Grammar School on Mont Albert Road, in Canterbury.
Round 1: Monday 29 March 2021
Round 2: Monday 3 May 2021
Round 3: Monday 17 May 2021
Round 4: Monday 21 June 2021
Round 5: Monday 2 August 2021
Time:
Year 9 (D Grade) – 8pm-9pm
Year 10 (C Grade) – 7pm-8pm
Year 11 (B Grade) – 7pm-8pm
Year 12 (A Grade) – 8pm-9pm
Enquiries should be directed to Rima Khallouf khalloufr@trinity.vic.edu.au
Public Speaking
Public Speaking training will commence on Friday 26 February and on subsequent Fridays during the first semester. This is an opportunity for the boys to sharpen their oratory skills and enter both internal and external competitions. Students from Years 7-12 are welcome.
Sessions begin at 7.30am and will be held in CE04. OTG and two-time winner of the Bunting Oration, Nick Campbell, will be the coach.
Enquiries should be directed to Dr Curtis Watson on watsonc@trinity.vic.edu.au
Rima Khallouf
Head of School Debating
MUSIC NEWS
VCE and AMEB achievements
2020 VCE Music Performance: Top Class
Well done to Sejune Park (Viola) and Kevin Wang (Pipe Organ), who have been invited to audition for Top Class Music 2021, following their outstanding 2020 VCE Recitals. Sejune was taught by Therese McCoppin, and accompanied by Shaun Jones. Kevin was taught by Dr June Nixon.
Congratulations to the following musicians who were recently awarded Diplomas on Violin:
George Koutrouzas: Associate of Music (A Mus A)
Alexander Chieng: Associate of Music (A Mus A) with Distinction
George is taught by Robin Venables, and was accompanied by Chiah Quah. Alexander is taught by Moirsheen Kelly-Keesing, and was accompanied by Rhodri Clarke.
The Associate of Music Diploma is a highly regarded award which demands a professional standard of performance. The candidate must also demonstrate a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the music, composer and style through rigorous questioning. George and Alexander should be proud of their fine achievements!
Congratulations to Max Zhang (Year 11), who recently received A+ (High Distinction) for the Certificate of Performance Examination on Oboe. This level is between Grade 8 AMEB and the Associate of Music Diploma. Max is taught by Anne Gilby.
Congratulations to the following students of Chiah Quah who prepared for a Suzuki graduation or AMEB examination in 2020:
Year 7
Michael Wu: Suzuki Piano Graduation, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3
James Tsui: Suzuki Piano Graduation, Level 3
Year 6
James Sonnemann: AMEB Piano Grade 3, A+ (High Distinction)
Year 5
Gabriel Guarino: Suzuki Piano Graduation, Level 6
Cameron Zhao: AMEB Piano Grade 5, A (Honours)
Michael Kokkinos: Suzuki Piano Graduation, Level 2
Year 4
Joshua Loftes: AMEB Piano Grade 3, A (Honours)
Free Music Theory and Aural classes resume
All students are welcome to attend free Theory and Aural classes, which have now resumed with Mr Siegfried Franke. Classes run on Wednesday mornings 7:25-7:55am, in Room CY3 in the Centre for the Arts. Day 3 is Music Theory class and Day 8 is Aural class. Please contact Mr Franke to express your interest frankes@trinity.vic.edu.au
Music Lessons
Any students interested in learning a musical instrument should complete an application form. Please click here to download the form. Once completed, please email to music@trinity.vic.edu.au or deliver the hard copy to the Music Office.
Michelle Stanic
Director of Music
Chaplain’s Chat
A very warm welcome to the new school year. I hope that the holidays (which may seem like a distant memory now) were a great time of rest and refreshment for all.
Starting something new, like a new job or being in a new school for example, can often cause us some worry – a new place, new people, new routine… ‘Am I good enough?’, ‘Will I fit in?’, ‘Will I make friends?’ Rest assured that all of those questions (and plenty of others) are perfectly normal!
If you’ve got some doubts, particularly about yourself starting out, or even starting back this year, I hope you might be encouraged by these well-known words…
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
(Marianne Williamson, 1992)
I truly hope that 2021 is a year when you shine in whatever you do!
Prayer & Pastries
Prayer & Pastries is back again this year – Parents, students and staff meet together in the Chapel each Tuesday morning of the school term from 7:30-8.00am to pray for each other, the school, and the wider Trinity community. The first and third Tuesday of the month we also share in Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome, breakfast is provided, and we’d love to have you join us.
PS We don’t meet when House Breakfasts/Chapels are on.
If there is anything the Chaplaincy team can do for you (boys and families) by way of pastoral care, support, and prayer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of us through the school reception or email.
Go well and God bless,
Rev’d Matt Campbell
Senior Chaplain
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
A Warm Welcome
I am very pleased to have joined the Community Engagement Team at Trinity Grammar School this year in the newly created role of Director of Community Engagement. The Community Engagement Team encompasses Alumni Relations, Development, Parent Volunteer Group, Events and now Marketing and Communications and will be located across the road from Hudson House at 55 Wellington Street.
I would like to say thank you to my team for their very warm welcome and especially to Kathryn Hines for her recent leadership as she steps into her new position as Advancement Manager. Kathy has worked tirelessly since her appointment to build relationships, streamline processes and steward the team, and indeed our community, through the difficult time of COVID in 2020.
Our first major event for 2021 is the upcoming inaugural Parent Welcome Evening on Friday 12 February which will be a wonderful opportunity to get to know our parent community and welcome new families. I look forward to meeting you at what I am sure will become a favourite event in the Trinity calendar.
Lucy Cohen
Director of Community Engagement
COVID safe protocol – Service Victoria App
In line with COVID-safe protocol and regulations, Trinity Grammar School requires every visitor to use the Service Victoria App to check-in and register their details when attending an event at any of our campuses. We ask that you please download this app through your app store, on your smartphone before you attend any school event.
When you arrive onsite at each event, you will be asked to scan a QR code using the Service Victoria App.
If you do not have the Service Victoria App installed on your smartphone, please scan the QR code which will be displayed at the event and you will be directed to install the app (you will then need to scan the code again using the app).
A reminder that if you are feeling unwell, or have any flu-like symptoms, please do not attend the event.
Samantha Simpson
School Events Coordinator
Uniform Shop – Spot Specials!
Each month we will highlight specific items that will either be reduced in price, or allow you to have the option to ‘buy one, get one free’. Watch this space!
February Spot Specials
- Spray Jackets – 50% off listed price
- Summer Shirts – Buy one, get one free
March Spot Specials
- Winter Shirts – Buy one, get one free
- Winter Pants – Buy one, get one free
Kathy Hines
Advancement Manager
Trinity TLC Community Support Group
Have you heard about the Trinity TLC Community Support Group? This is a PA initiative and we coordinate a roster of volunteers to provide meals and lunchbox items for those within our school community who are faced with challenging times.
How Does It Work?
Our volunteers fill the school freezer with delicious food. When a little TLC is needed, the TGS Senior Leadership Team coordinates the distribution of meals and lunchbox items, ensuring discretion and confidentiality.
How Can I Help?
The freezer is ready to be restocked! Please click here to join the roster to prepare a meal/lunchbox item on a date which suits you.
This term we are requesting donations of two meals and two lunchbox items per week.
To join the list of Urgent Meal Volunteers, whom we can contact on an adhoc basis to provide meals and lunchbox items at 24/48 hours’ notice, please click here.
Please click here to make a donation which will be used to purchase items such as supermarket vouchers or a meal delivery service.
Any Questions?
Please don’t hesitate to contact Alice Noonan and Angela Gill (Co-Convenors) via email pa@trinity.vic.edu.au.
We would love your support to assist in providing this extra TLC to our community. Thank You!
Alice Noonan and Angela Gill (Co-Convenors)
Heidi Pfeffer and Lisa Williams (Committee)
Important Dates
Tuesday 9 February
OTGA Committee Meeting, Hudson House 7.00pm
Wednesday 10 February
House Performing Arts Festival (HPAF) Rehearsals commence
Year 11 Information Night 7.00pm, online
Year 12 Information Night 7.30pm, online
Thursday 11 February
Year 6 Project Rockit, Bulleen
High Achievers’ Assembly 9.45am
Trinity Uniform Shop 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Friday 12 February
JS Captains’ Induction Service, Centre for the Arts 8.30am
Welcome to Trinity 7E-7H, Bulleen
Year 8A and 8B Gippsland Lakes Camp concludes 5.30pm
Parent Welcome Evening 6.30pm, tickets available here until 12.00pm Wednesday 10 February
Saturday 13 February
AGSV Sport
Senior School Music Camp commences
Head of Schoolboys’ Regatta, Lake Wendouree 8.00am
JS AGSV Swimming Trials 9.00am
Sunday 14 February
Senior School Music Camp concludes
Monday 15 February
Year 8C and 8D Gippsland Lakes Camp commences 8.30am
JS Parent-Teacher Interviews 3.30pm, online
Trinity-Ruyton Musical Auditions 3.30pm
Tuesday 16 February
Year 6 Project Rockit, Centre for the Arts 9.00am
JS Parent-Teacher Interviews 3.30pm, online
Parents’ Association Meeting 7.00pm, online via Microsoft Teams
Thursday 18 February
JS Year 6 Project Rockit, Centre for the Arts 9.00am
Senior School Class Representatives’ Meeting 12.00pm, online via Microsoft Teams
Year 7 Induction Service, St Paul’s Cathedral 7.30pm
Friday 19 February
JS Year 3-5 Swimming Carnival 9.00am
Year 8C and 8D Gippsland Lakes Camp concludes 5.30pm
Saturday 20 February
AGSV Sport
JS AGSV Swimming Trials 9.00am
Monday 22 February
Early Finish – Senior School
Year 8E and 8F Gippsland Lakes Camp commences 8.30am
Professional Learning – no Sport, Music or Co-curricular Activities 2.45pm
Trinity-Ruyton Musical Auditions 3.30pm