Edition 3, Term 2 2022
MENU: From the Principal | From the ELC | From the Junior School | From the Senior School | Music | Chaplain’s Chat | Community Engagement
From the Principal
Pretty much everyone is an ‘expert’ in schooling. At least, there are few industries with which all of society engages across a range of ages. Education is a huge employer in the community, parents (especially in an independent school like ours) are significant investors and almost everyone had some sort of schooling experience as a student. Those (unfortunately increasingly distant) memories certainly shaped my desire to work in schools and serve as a refence point when considering the student experience, albeit not contemporary.
‘Generation Z’ is the group moving through our secondary schooling system now. Of course, their educational lives have been disrupted over the past 30 months, so their perspectives of schooling will be different from those before and after them, and particularly different from the schooling that we, their parents, experienced. Their schooling is digitally rich and their lives are framed by technologies that have emerged since ‘we’ were at school. Globally, reading has declined amongst the ‘Zoomers’ in comparison with earlier labelled generations and it seems that it is hard to get to 11 years of age in the developed world without being a phone owner. There have been some changes over the years, no doubt!
As we approach the middle of the year and a full suite of exams for many of our Senior School students, we can reflect on the change that has occurred gradually over generations and acutely over the past couple of years. Whereas we moved to accommodate our learners and staff with ‘lighter touch’ assessment and reporting amidst the pandemic, we return to the more practised summative assessments as our older students acclimatise again to school at its fullest. While the motivation is pure regarding methods of learning, there is also the pragmatic element that assists students in deciding what, or more accurately who, they are going to be.
There is a discernment in this generation which demographers find compelling to highlight. When considering future direction, Zoomers are looking for an opportunity more than for a job. It seems that work will not be work as much as it is a portal to social connection, contribution and, above all, purpose. An alignment of core values with any organisation with which they will be linked is very important to them. That’s why the values they are exposed to at school and at home matter. Between school and home we have a ready platform to balance the heavily saturated information world which devices feed up to our children. We continue to ‘educate’ values at Trinity and we certainly ask our students to display honourable ones. It is indeed a privilege to be doing so.
Whereas we might all be experts in education, after a fashion, we are all of us working with contemporary conditions and Generation Z for the first time. The nature of this point in history is that we will be evolving our practices to adapt our manner continually (though exams return like an old friend!), even as we lean on values that matter. We recognise that it is a whole of community response that will be required to provide the best that we can. Something tells me that this generation wouldn’t have it any other way.
Adrian Farrer
Principal
From the ELC
The children in the Early Learning Centre are provided with opportunities to express themselves and learn and discover every day using the ‘100 languages.’ Our curriculum is inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to education and PYP inquiry. We believe children have many ways of thinking, communicating and doing. As a centre we provide our students with many opportunities to express themselves every day in a variety of ways.
Our students in the ELC can experience a range of ‘languages’ such as painting, drawing, construction, storytelling, light and shadow, sculpture, music and movement. This enables them to express their thoughts and ideas, learn about themselves and learn about the people, community and world around them.
The students are provided with a range of materials, equipment and resources so they can explore and experience many different languages and take their learning and thinking to a deeper level.
Naomi Wright
Director of the Early Learning Centre
From the Junior School
On Friday 20 May, the Year 5 cohort headed away to PEGS Essendon in their first instalment of the Round Robin competition that also includes Camberwell Grammar. All students in Years 4 – 6 participate in either Football, Soccer or European Handball. The competition is designed to give the boys an introduction to inter-school sport and make connections with their opponents that will carry on into their senior years.
All Trinity staff have been extremely proud of the way our boys have conducted themselves. Playing with positivity and enthusiasm, the games have been a highlight of the term so far. We have also received regular feedback from opposition coaches as to the sportsmanship and positivity that has been demonstrated by our boys.
This Round Robin is the first of many that our junior students are able to experience during Terms 2 and 3. We look forward to hosting a Year 4 and 5 competition out at Bullen and heading to PEGS with the Year 6 cohort. Congratulations to all of the boys involved for their efforts; you have represented the school extremely well.
Year 6 cohort. Congratulations to all of the boys involved for their efforts; you have represented the school extremely well.
Samara Madden
Deputy Head of Junior School (Staffing and Operations)
SSV District Cross Country
In cold, challenging conditions our selected SSV Cross Country team competed at the South Yarra District Cross Country event held recently in Fawkner Park. Overall our team ran well, with a number of notable performances. We wish those boys who finished in the top eight for their age group at the district event all the very best when they run in a fortnight’s time at the SSV Beachside Divisional event to be run at Bald Hill. The next team event for these boys will be the AGSV Carnival to be held at Chelsworth Park in Ivanhoe on Thursday 26 May. Well done team Trinity!
David Ponsford
Director of Junior Sport & Co-Curricular Activities
From the Senior School
House Athletics
Congratulations to all athletes involved in the House Athletics carnival. It was a wonderful day, with the great weather providing the perfect opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability in both Track and Field events and to show support for their House. Overall results are as follows, with age champions to be announced shortly:
| Place | House | Points |
| 1 | Arnold | 705.5 |
| 2 | Merritt | 645 |
| 3 | Kent Hughes | 574 |
| 4 | Henty | 562 |
| 5 | Roberts | 545.5 |
| 6 | Cowen | 539 |
| 7 | Hindley | 507.5 |
| 8 | Sutton | 489.5 |
Trinity Indigenous Guernsey
The Trinity Indigenous Guernsey was proudly worn by our First XVIII football players at the Mitre Cup against Camberwell Grammar on Friday evening. The design has captured the stories of our Dadirri students, with Hurrikane Hudson addressing the crowd prior to the commencement of the game.
Congratulations
Elliott Nikitins has been successful in the Boroondara Photography Competition. His striking purple flower photo will be displayed in the Town Hall until 25 June 2023.
World’s Greatest Shave
Thank you to staff and students who raised close to $3000 to support research into finding a cure for blood cancer.
Uniform
Students have been reminded regarding uniform expectations:
- School shoes (polished black leather shoes)
- Blazers to and from school
- Shirts to be tucked in
- Black or grey socks
- Scarves can be worn to and from school
Sport
Photos from games held on Saturday 21 May:
Susan Hill
Deputy Principal, Head of Senior School
F1 in Schools National Finals 2022
Congratulations to team Sokudo (Year 10 – Eric Liang, Evan Liu, Edward Peng, Isaac Tian; and Year 9 – Andreas Wiggett) with their car achieving third-fastest speed, they were runners-up in the Knockout race and were placed sixth overall. It has been a welcome relief for 20 teams to be allowed to attend in-person again to engage with students from around Australia after two years of virtual competitions. An additional eight teams competed virtually due to their state regulations. The ‘Ultimate STEM Event’ was held at Bosch Australia in Clayton from 16 – 20 May and the teams were judged over a range of disciplines including CAD/CAM/CAE/CFD/FEA design, project management, engineering and enterprise portfolios, verbal presentations and of course racing a fast car. See https://rea.org.au/events.
Six OTG/F1 in Schools alumni presented/judged/assisted at the event: Cameron Beardsell, Adam Blunt, Hugh Bowman, Hamzah Brown, Tom Bugno and Kyle Winkler.
Isaac, Eric, Edward, Andreas, (Evan-isolating).
Isaac, Andreas, Edward, Eric, (Evan-isolating).
Edward
Mr Peter Clinton
TIC F1 in Schools
Hockey Goalkeeper Clinic
Attention current and budding Hockey Goal Keepers! (Please consider this if you are a soccer player or martial artist as well). TGS Hockey is offering a FREE goalkeeping clinic with international goalkeeping coach Mili Arrotea. We are keen to develop the skills of current and potential goalkeepers of all levels – including beginners!
Mili is a former Argentinian representative goalkeeper and currently works in development for Hockey Victoria. Here’s a link to Mili in coaching action at Cairns Hockey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak96YJQh0yk
Clinic details:
Thursday 2 June, 4:00pm – 5:00pm (catch the sport bus)
TGS Bulleen hockey pitch
Please let Mrs Fewster know so we can arrange kits.
Kate Fewster
Co-Head of Year 12 & TIC Hockey
Music
Victorian All-State Jazz Championships Success
On Saturday 14 May the Stage Band and Big Band spent a long day at St. Leonard’s, participating in the Victorian All-State Jazz Championships. Attended by around a hundred Big Bands, I am pleased to say it was a very successful day for the Trinity Jazz Music Program.
The Stage Band finished second in B division for the second year in a row – an amazing effort! The Big Band performed extremely well in C division, giving great experience to the next generation of Trinity jazz musicians. In addition to these placings, Trinity had some individuals that received awards. The following boys were selected in the ‘Superband’ for their division:
B Division: Charlie Lockyer (Trumpet 2), Kaidin Ameti (Guitar), Daniel Chong (Vibraphone).
C Division: David Luo (Percussion), Darcy Stewart (Piano), Sam McDonald (Trombone 2).
The Superband is where students are selected from all participating schools in a section to make up an All-Star or Superband. It is a shame they don’t get to perform!
Additionally, in B Division Daniel Chong (Vibraphone) was named as one of 3 Outstanding Soloists, whilst our Rhythm Section was awarded the Best Rhythm Section Award (Drums/Percussion – Daniel Chong, Roy McNab, Jimmy O’Meara. Piano – Alex Chieng. Guitar – Kaidin Ameti. Bass – Ethan Chiang-Cruise).
Congratulations to all staff and students involved. The boys represented Trinity well and had a really great time. It is a fantastic result for the students and they should be so proud of their performances.
Jamie Ransome
Head of Brass, Wind & Bands
After School String Recital
It was a treat to have parents attend the After School Recital last Tuesday in person! They enjoyed the range of repertoire, from a Suzuki Twinkle to VCE Level unaccompanied Bach. We encourage all string players to perform in a recital to make the most of the opportunity of playing with a piano accompaniment. The next recital will be on Tuesday 31 May.
Well done to all the boys involved!
Thérèse McCoppin
Head of Strings
2022 May Gala Concert
On Wednesday night, 18 May, the music department held its Annual May Gala Concert. This concert is one of the many highlights in the musical calendar. This year we were able to perform in one of the most amazing acoustic halls in Australia – the Melbourne Recital Centre. Nearly 200 students participated in a dress rehearsal during the day. The concert was held in the evening and was attended by many families. It certainly provided an amazing experience for our music students and we were able to enjoy music from our core ensembles, which presented an array of different genres. Congratulations to all the students in the Suzuki Violin Ensemble, Stage Band, Senior Choir, Trinity Strings, Senior Strings, Mitre band, Symphonic Wind and the Trinity Symphony Orchestra. I would also like to thank our Music Co-Captains George Koutrouzas and Lewis Finney, who delivered a poignant speech on their experiences of music at TGS. Thank you to all the conductors (Mrs Thérèse McCoppin, Mrs Moirsheen Kelly-Keesing, Ms Ciara McCoppin, Mr Jamie Ransome and Mr Chris Brown). A big thank you to all the music staff and senior school staff who supported us and a special thanks to Mrs Tina Koutrouzas, who was vital in organising the administrative side of this concert.
Below are some photos from the daytime dress rehearsal which took place at Melbourne Recital Centre’s Elisabeth Murdoch Hall.
Bigger Better Brains – Make Your Brain More Efficient
In this edition, you can read about how learning music makes your brain more efficient:
https://biggerbetterbrains.com/news-post/make-your-brain-more-efficient/
Jan Blazejczak
Director of Music
Chaplain’s Chat
As part of our Chapel series on the lives of the saints, last week the boys learned about 20th century saint Maximilian Kolbe, whose life and death in Auschwitz teaches us an almost unimaginable lesson of self-sacrificial love. After one prisoner escaped, ten men were chosen at random to die by way of reprisal. One condemned man cried out in distress, ‘My wife, my children!’ Fr. Maximilian Kolbe stood forward with the words, ‘I am a Catholic priest. Take me in his place.’ Thus, Maximilian gave his life for that of a stranger in one stunning act of self-sacrificial love.
By way of comparison, the boys were invited to reflect on two imagined Mother’s Day presents; one involving a gift whereby, because your mother likes cooking, you give her the gift of letting her cook you your favourite dinner while you relax watching TV (there may have been the cheeky suggestion that this present sounded pretty good!) The other gift involving the saving of pocket money beforehand, googling her favourite recipe, going to the shops, buying the ingredients and cooking and serving her yourself. What is missing from the first present? The boys knew immediately: sacrifice. Sacrifice magnifies the love we have to give, just as God’s love for us was magnified by the sacrifice of his son Jesus, for us.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe understood this very well and indeed said, ‘Without sacrifice, there is no love.’ We may not be called to give up our lives for another, but we can all look out for ways in which we might ‘love one another, as I have loved you.’
Cecilia Fairlie
Junior School Chaplain
Community Engagement
Continuing with the theme of Term 2, it has been another busy and rewarding couple of weeks in the events space. The Junior School tour and morning tea for new TGS families provided us the great pleasure of welcoming parents and guardians of our young students onto school grounds. For some, it was the first opportunity to gather in-person and to see the school since their children began at Trinity. It was wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces – thank you to everyone involved in bringing this morning to fruition.
On Saturday night the much-anticipated Trinity Green and Gold Ball took place at the Park Hyatt with a sell-out attendance. It was a fabulous night replete with gorgeous decorations, fabulous entertainment and a very successful live auction. After such a long hiatus, events like this remind us of the power and joy of community. This event could not have gone ahead without an immense amount of work by our dedicated volunteers. In particular, the Ball Committee, consisting of Heidi Pfeffer (convenor), Felicia Trewin, Melanie White, Sally Child and Suzanne Smith deserves acknowledgement and thanks.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to our major sponsors, Dennis and Melissa Alysandratos with the Consolidated Travel Group.
https://www.consolidatedtravel.com.au/
A big thank you goes to sponsor Marmoset Found, who offer a range of handcrafted ceramics and glassware in seasonally inspired colour palettes.
To all the sponsors, supporters, attendees and volunteers who made this year’s Green and Gold Ball possible – thank you!
Grown and Made Here
Velassaris Photography
We have our National Reconciliation Breakfast taking place this Friday 27 May. This event is run by First Nations TGS students with special guest Troy McDonald from the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria. The event is a stand-up buffet style breakfast.
There is still time to purchase tickets for this event HERE or email us at communityengagement@trinity.vic.edu.au for further details.
And finally, for parents and guardians who are new to the school, just to let you know that if you have a Senior School lost property enquiry, you can contact Sarah in Student Services via haags@trinity.vic.edu.au
Lucy Cohen
Director of Community Engagement
Upcoming Parent Event Dates
Tuesday 24 May
Senior School Class Representatives Meeting
12:00PM – 2:00PM
East Room, Centre for the Arts
Click here to join the meeting
Tuesday 31 May
Junior School Class Representatives Meeting
9:00AM – 10:30AM
East Room, Centre for the Arts
Click here to join the meeting
Friday 27 May
National Reconciliation Breakfast
6:50AM arrival for 7:00AM start, concludes 8:00AM
South Room, Centre for the Arts
Tickets: $26 per person, includes breakfast and beverages
Please RSVP by 25 May
https://events.humanitix.com/reconciliation-breakfast-2022
Thursday 2 June
Uniform Shop Open
2:00PM – 4:00PM
62 Charles Street
Saturday 4 June
Year 2 Parent Evening
7:00PM
Crudo Warehouse: 132A Cotham Rd, Kew
Tickets: $58.50 per person, includes a selection of large and small canapés
Please RSVP by Monday 22 May
https://events.humanitix.com/year-2-parent-event
Sunday 5 June
Trinity 2022 Year 9 Dads/Carers & Sons Day
11:30AM
Treetops Adventure Belgrave, Old Monbulk Rd, Belgrave
Tickets: $46.00 per adult and $41 per child
Please RSVP by Wednesday 25 May
https://events.humanitix.com/trinity-2022-year-9-dads-carers-and-sons-day
Thursday 9 June
Year 8 Mums Night Out
7:00PM – 11:00PM
Tickets: $41.00 per adult, includes drink on arrival and canapés
Please RSVP by Tuesday 31 May
https://events.humanitix.com/year-8-mums-night-out
IMORTANT DATES
Tuesday 24 May
Roberts House Breakfast & Chapel, 7:15AM
Senior School Class Representatives’ Meeting, 12:00PM
Cowen House Chapel & Dinner, 6:30PM
Wednesday 25 May
Middle School Play Auditions, 3:30PM
Younger Oration, Tudor Centre 6:00PM
Thursday 26 May
National Sorry Day
Strategic Plan Focus Group for Parents & OTGs, online via Teams 7:30AM
(Need to RSVP to barryg@trinity.vic.edu.au your interest in attending online)
Information Morning #3 (Whole School), 9:00AM
Year 12 Scone Morning Tea, 10:30AM
JS AGSV Cross Country, Chelsworth Park 11:15AM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM
Friday 27 May
National Reconciliation Week commences
Reconciliation Breakfast, Centre for the Arts 7:00AM
Year 6 Round Robin, Penleigh & Essendon Grammar School 12:00PM
Year 3, 4 & 5 Sport, Bulleen 1:30PM
Saturday 28 May
AGSV Sport Reconciliation Round
Monday 30 May
SSV Under 12 Football Trials, Bulleen 8:00AM
Golf Victoria State Final, The National Golf Club – Long Island 11:30AM
Tuesday 31 May
JS SSV Divisional Cross Country, Bald Hill 9:00AM
Junior School Class Representatives’ Meeting, 9:00AM
Wednesday 1 June
Year 11 Study Day (no classes)
Year 6 Immigration Incursion, 8:00AM
Thursday 2 June
Year 11 Examinations commence
Sleeping Beauty Production Incursion (Year 3, 4 and 5), 8:00AM
Exercise Physiology Big Swing Golf Analysis, Drummond Golf 11:00AM
Trinity Shop, 2:00PM – 4:00PM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM
Friday 3 June
National Reconciliation Week concludes
Year 4 Round Robin, Trinity Grammar School 12:00PM
Year 3, 5 & 6 Sport, Bulleen 1:00PM
AGSV Soccer, Ivanhoe Grammar School 1:00PM
Trinity/Ruyton Musical Rehearsal, 3:30PM
AGSV Sport First XVIII Football Pride Round v Mentone Grammar, Bulleen 6:00PM
Saturday 4 June
AGSV Sport
VSRU Round 5
Trinity/Ruyton Musical Rehearsal, 2:00PM
Sunday 5 June
SSV Under 12 Football Trials, Bulleen 8:00AM