Newsletter Edition 3, Term 1 2023
MENU:
From the Principal
Early Learning Centre
Junior School
Senior School
Cocurricular
Chaplain’s Chat
Community
From the Principal
This morning we held an Information Morning for families considering a Trinity education.
I have included a snippet of this morning’s presentation from me during which I highlighted aspects of how our Strategic Plan reflect the daily and lived experience of Trinity. We have great interest at all of our Information Mornings and again filled Arnold Hall despite the challenging weather.
When we welcome future Trinity families to the school in this way, our students actively involved as music performers, speech presenters and tour guides, strengthening their leadership, public speaking and performance skills and giving visiting families an authentic snapshot of school life.
In his address to the visitors, Vice Captain Ben articulated the idea of ‘school culture’ beautifully: ‘Not every school has a culture like ours. It is the connection beyond the classroom that makes Trinity special’.
Adrian Farrer
Principal
Early Learning Centre
Community of Learners in the ELC
As Term 1 progresses our ELC learners have begun to establish and develop relationships with peers and educators. The children are familiarising themselves with their new environment and group routines, and expectations are being established. Values such as kindness, respect and empathy are discussed, and role modelled. This is all part of understanding what it means to be a community of learners.
Strong relationships in the classroom environment help children feel safe, secure, supported and ready for learning. Relationships between children and children, children and teachers and teachers and families are nurtured, with the aim being to establish a community of learners who embark on a mutually beneficial learning journey.
“Ensuring that every child feels a sense of security and belonging within the school enables each child to accept and participate actively in transforming situations that are part of learning experiences.”
-Loris Malaguzzi
In the ELC, we view our young learners as confident, competent and capable. As staff we observe and get to know each child individually as well as the whole group. Our educational program and learning experiences are then designed for both individual needs and the collective group learning. The programs are designed to nurture and foster the children’s innate curiosity and eagerness to learn.
Naomi Wright
Director of the Early Learning Centre
Junior School
A buzz has certainly been felt around the Junior School over the past fortnight, as students were busy preparing for the annual House Swimming Carnivals. Prep to Year 6 boys completed their four-week swimming program during Physical Education lessons and were keen to show off their skills in a carnival environment.
The Year 3 to 6 boys kicked off proceedings with House colours decking the pool fence in blistering heat. All students were eager to represent their House in the pool and parents were excited to be back poolside after a long hiatus.
Our motto with every sporting event is not to be the best, but to do your best and the students certainly didn’t disappoint. The races were hard-fought, with plenty of tight finishes and great encouragement from the pool deck. The exhaustion and exhilaration on the students’ faces as they touched the wall showed just how much effort went into each race.
On Friday, the Prep to Year 2 students took their turn in the pool. The feature events were ‘My Best Freestyle’ and ‘My Best Backstroke’, once again celebrating individual effort rather than winning. The encouragement from our swimming teachers in the water willed each boy to the wall and there were many smiling faces as the students climbed out having achieved their goals.
Across all carnivals, our Houses were led by our very capable Year 6 House and Swimming Captains and wonderful teaching staff. A huge thanks goes to our sensational Physical Education staff for their work behind the scenes. Now it’s time to hang up the bathers and goggles until Summer comes around again.
Samara Madden
Deputy Head of Junior School
Year 3 to 6 House Swimming Carnival 2023
What a wonderful way to celebrate the new school year with the running of the Year 3 to 6 House Swimming Sports, on Friday 17 February. The excitement began early in the morning, well before the school day began, with each of the House Leaders and some extra helpers decorating their house bay in house colours, balloons, mascots and streamers. It was also wonderful to see parents and friends able to join us and cheer on our boys! With the growing number of boys in the Junior School it was decided this year to split into two mini carnivals.
The nine- and ten-year-olds swam their events from the start of the day until recess, closely followed by the eleven and twelves, with the carnival finishing at lunchtime. Throughout both events the excitement and house spirit grew in the house bays, with the boys cheering and chanting as their house mates competed in the pool.
Congratulations to Henderson House, who were awarded the House Swimming Cup for 2023, and Inglis House, who were awarded the Spirit Cup!
It was wonderful once again to see the smiles on the boys’ faces as they were actively involved throughout their carnivals. The event was complete when all boys returned to the pool on Monday 20 February in the afternoon to complete the 100m events and all the relay events. A competitive staff team was far too strong this year for its Year 6 competitors! Many thanks to all the Junior School staff who did a wonderful job, the school maintenance department for the setup, pack up and cleaning of the pool facility, and finally the boys who all displayed the true spirit in which our sporting events at Trinity in the Junior School are celebrated!
David Ponsford
Director of Junior School Sport & Cocurricular activities
Return to top >
Senior School
Congratulations
Frederick Zhao recently represented Australia at the Oceania Juniors Championships in New Zealand. As team captain, Frederick’s team won the Junior Mixed Team Championships and Frederick also experienced success in winning the Juniors men’s doubles title.
Music Camp
Over the course of two-and-a-half days, our music students participated in an intensive music camp, in preparation for the many musical events ahead in 2023. We thank all staff who supported the program and for the time and commitment of our students.
Summer Sport Update
With the final round of AGSV sport to be completed this weekend, we wish success to the following Firsts Teams in their Semi-Final matches:
Basketball: Friday 3 March, 5.00pm v Ivanhoe
Volleyball: Saturday 4 March, 8.50am v Mentone
Tennis: Saturday 4 March, 8.30am v Camberwell
Swimming Carnival
On Wednesday 8 March, our annual House Swimming Carnival will be held at Boroondara Sports Complex on Belmore Road, North Balwyn.
A summary of the day’s events can be found below:
Year 7 – 9
- Swimming Carnival periods 1 – 4
- Timetabled classes periods 5 and 6
- Students returning to school by approx. 12:45pm
Year 10 – 12
- Timetabled classes periods 1 – 3
- Swimming Carnival periods 4 – 6
- Students returning to school by approx. 3:30pm
Year 7 Induction Service
All Year 7 students were inducted into the Senior School in front of family, friends and staff at a service held at St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday 23 February.
The Stephen Jones ‘Be Glorious’ Leadership Breakfast
All Year 12 students, including a group of Ruyton students, attended The Stephen Jones ‘Be Glorious’ Leadership Breakfast at the MCG on Thursday 16 February. It was an early start, but students had the opportunity to hear Mr Gillon McLachlan, CEO of the AFL, share his insights on leadership.
Susan Hill
Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School
Philippines Tour Information Evening
A friendly reminder there will be an information evening tonight, Wednesday 1 March, for the upcoming Philippines Immersion Tour to be held between the 18 September and 30 September during the Term 3 holidays. All interested parents and students are to meet in Arnold Hall at 7:00pm.
If there are any queries or questions, please feel free to reach out to me any time on my email: purcellt@trinity.vic.edu.au
Tom Purcell
Director of Outreach
Partnering with Parents – Resource Hub
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am pleased to share with you the collection of wonderful resources that Trinity has made available for parents and guardians. The Partnering with Parents hub provides information on: Counselling at Trinity; Respectful Relationships; Healthy Minds and Bodies; Positive Parenting and much more.
SchoolTV, created by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, provides comprehensive fact sheets, videos and research covering a huge range of topics relevant for parenting children and teens, including special reports on Safe Partying, Stress, Respectful Language and Resilience.
Catherine Brandon
Director of Wellbeing
ScienceVision and the Australian Junior Science Olympiad
Eason Yang (Year 10) sat the Australian Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) Exam in July 2022, and was selected to take part in the Junior Science Olympiad Spring School in September 2022. After studying for six months, Eason was named in the final team for the 2022 International Junior Science Olympiad to represent Australia. The official competition was then moved from Kyiv, Ukraine to Bogota, Colombia, and, for safety reasons, the Australian team along with eight other countries were not able to participate.
Instead, the nine countries (with a total of 52 students) participated in an online competition called ScienceVision, which aims to foster international collaboration and peace through the advancement of science. This competition ran from Monday 13 February to Saturday 18 February. The teams competed for awards in online practical and theory exams and were regrouped into mixed-country teams to produce videos on a scientific phenomenon, which were judged EuroVision style.
Congratulations to Eason for achieving a first-place award, a Gold Medal, for the individual section. Eason should also be congratulated for his significant contribution to the mixed-country team in making a video for the ScienceVision video challenge. Despite the communication challenges – as members had to work together during different time zones – Eason’s team video was voted in the top three (of 17) videos. Their video can now be viewed at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EbpwiRZw7U
Congratulations to Eason for his outstanding achievements, which were all well deserved.
Angela Kotsiras
Academic Extension and Enrichment Programs Coordinator
Cocurricular
2023 Senior School Music Camp
We kicked off Term 1 with a sensational music camp, with students from Years 7-12 participating in various ensembles, including Mitre Band, Trinity Strings, Senior Strings, Symphonic Wind and Trinity Symphony Orchestra. This annual gathering is one of the highlights of the year for many students.
The camp provided a valuable opportunity for students to extend their musicianship and develop their skills. Students had the privilege of working with lauded guest conductors and were amazed with how much was accomplished. It was inspiring to witness what can be achieved when students combine their energy and passion for music. Our thanks to all staff, visiting conductors and students who made the camp such a success.
Ken Waterworth working with Mitre Band
Joe O’Callaghan working with Symphonic Wind
Ingrid Martin working with Trinity Symphony Orchestra
Year 7 Induction Service – Congratulations Aaron Chew
The Year 7 Induction Service was a wonderful gathering for our Year 7 students and their parents. A big congratulations to Aaron Chew (7D) who played the Praeludium and Allegro by Frits Kreisler. This is a technically (and musically) demanding piece for violin and requires the soloist to have a very good command of all aspects of the instrument. Well done, Aaron and we look forward to hearing many more concerts!
Bigger Better Brains
In this edition of Bigger Better Brains, you can read about the following topic:
Is leaving class to go to a music lesson detrimental?
https://vimeo.com/302989997
Jan Blazejczak
Director of Music
The Book of Will, Senior School play 2023
‘Those words are our life’s work, Will’s life. If we don’t find them, they die with us.’
We are excited to welcome the wider Trinity/Ruyton community to join us at this year’s Senior play, The Book of Will, by Lauren Gunderson.
Three years after the death of their friend, William Shakespeare, The King’s Men reminisce on the golden days of poetry and realise that unless they act, the words of their friend will be lost forever.
Their quest to immortalise the plays of Shakespeare leads them through the turmoil of grief and copyright infringement and onto the paths of a defiant poet, a passionate scrivener, a greedy publisher, and a vengeful poet laureate. Hinging on the success of this band of actors, storytellers, and alewives is the legacy of one of the most influential writers in the history of the world.
Tickets are now available to attend The Book of Will, our 2023 Senior play, with the performance season running from 30 March – 1 April. With limited tickets available, secure yours now:
https://events.humanitix.com/trinity-ruyton-senior-school-play-the-book-of-will
Rebecca Cecil
Productions Manager, Drama Department
Chaplain’s Chat
The Gift of Life
Last week on Ash Wednesday the chaplains distributed the ashes in the school grounds. Hundreds of students came forward to receive a blessing along with the ashes. We all have a yearning to feed our spirituality and it never ceases to amaze me how many students come forward, searching for more when the opportunity is made available to them. The ashes on our forehead is a reminder of our own mortality and God’s love for each of us.
Life is a gift. The most precious gift God gives us. On the weekend I participated in a walk to raise money for a baby born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare genetic disorder that affects the nervous system that controls muscle movement. There is no cure, and life expectancy for SMA type 1 is two years of age.
The reality of life is we all have a beginning and an end. For some life might only last a while. What matters in life is how we live and love others, especially the most vulnerable in our world. This weekend I am inviting as many of you as possible to come and celebrate Harambee Sundee together and stand in solidarity with the poorest in our world. Harambee Sundee is not about how much we give but how much love we put into giving. Let’s all get around it on the weekend.
During Lent we are called to reflect on our lives and challenge ourselves to let go of all the things in our lives that distract us from loving God and loving others. Lent is a time for renewal. May God bless you all over the 40 days of the Lenten season and be near to you as you prepare for Easter and new life.
Tom Purcell
Director of Outreach
Community
We held the first Class Representatives meeting for the year last week and it was great to see many familiar faces and some new ones join us either in person or online. We welcomed Melanie White who has joined the team succeeding Lisa Williams as Senior School Class Reps Coordinator. We give thanks to Lisa for her years of service and dedication to this role.
There are still some year levels that need a Class Rep and we ask parents and guardians with children in classes 7A, 7B, 7E, 9B, 9E and 12A to consider volunteering for this role in 2023. To learn more about the role, click HERE and email communityengagement@trinity.vic.edu.au to let us know you are interested.
It was great to learn that many year levels have already had a social gathering and that there are a few also in the pipeline for the coming weeks. We noted at the meeting that the Harambee Sundee team are encouraging Class Reps to plan a coffee gathering to coincide with their fundraising activities this coming Sunday 5 March. There will be a coffee cart on site to assist with this aim and the opportunity to support the students’ efforts. I look forward to seeing you there.
Throughout your child’s journey at TGS, there will be a myriad of opportunities for you to engage with other parents and guardians, make new friends, share your skillset with others and simply enjoy being a part of the various festivities. The sub-committees of the Parents’ Association provide support for the students and programs and there is something to suit everyone. Please click HERE to find out more and to register your interest.
Finally, a reminder that the Parents’ Association AGM is coming up on Tuesday 14 March at 7.00pm. This will be held in Arnold Hall and also online. Nominations are open for the PA nominee to School Council and the Officers of the Association (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary). Nominations must be received no later than seven days before the AGM. For more information click HERE.
Lucy Cohen
Director of Community Engagement
Harambee Sundee
Harambee Sundee is back for 2023! Similar to last year, the event will involve the Trinity community running, rowing, or riding over the day on March 5 to raise funds and awareness for those less fortunate. All proceeds of the event will go towards Harambee’s various ministries from international aid in Kenya and Uganda, to local causes like Good Grub and You Matter.
Together, we can make a difference.
We are currently 20% of the way to our fundraising goal of $50,000. In the coming days, we encourage you and your sons to contribute to this wonderful cause:
https://www.mycause.com.au/events/harambeesundee
We look forward to seeing what the Trinity community can do together in the last few days and on Sunday 5 March.
2023 Green and Gold Ball – save the date
Trinity Grammar School woollen blankets
If you would like to purchase the super durable woollen blankets, they are available to purchase online – please click on the link: https://www.trybooking.com/CFWMS
Fine Foods Group
The Trinity Fine Foods team have jams, cordials and sauces available to purchase. 5 for $15 or $5 each – or a Mystery Five (where we pick for you) for $10. Collection from Community Engagement office – 55 Wellington St.
Items can also be purchased online: https://www.trybooking.com/CFSSB
Trinity Fine Foods – call out for new members
Welcome to all our new parents and families in the Trinity community!
We want to say a big ‘hello!’ from the Trinity Fine Foods team who make jams, preserves, chutney and more for our school Fair, and welcome anyone interested in joining our fabulous group. It is a great way to get to know parents of all levels while spreading your volunteering over the year, with regular ‘Making Days’ at Karlee’s house. Our next one is on Sunday 5 March from 11am.
If you’re interested in joining our next Making Day, have produce you are happy to donate, have contacts at Plasdene or Cospak or you are simply happy to make produce at home to contribute, please reach out to Karlee on 0413881822. We welcome everyone!
Karlee Scott-Murphy and Mel White
Parent name badges
If you have not received a parent name badge, please complete the form below and we will arrange a replacement for you. Please double check with students/in school bags before completing the form and complete a separate form for each parent.
https://forms.office.com/r/BimyBQ5SW6
Important Dates
Wednesday 1 March
Philippines Information Meeting, Arnold Hall 7:00PM
Thursday 2 March
Year 7 Transition Interviews, Centre for the Arts 1:00PM
VCE Study Night, 6:30PM
Friday 3 March
Year 3-6 House Sport, 1:00PM
Senior School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
8E & 8F Gippsland Lake Camps concludes, 5:30PM
Saturday 4 March
AGSV Summer Sport Final Round
Boys Firsts Semi-Finals – Basketball, Cricket, Tennis & Volleyball
Victorian Rowing State Championships, Lake Wendouree – Ballarat Canoe Club
RV Junior Schoolboys Regatta, Barwon Rowing Club
Trinity Shop, 10:30AM-12:30PM
Senior School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 2:00PM
Sunday 5 March
Harambee Sundee
Monday 6 March
Year 4 Rumbug Camp commences, 8:30AM
Year 8G & 8H Gippsland Lakes Camp commences, 8:30AM
Trinity Ruyton Year 9 Play Rehearsal, Ruyton 3:30PM
Tuesday 7 March
Trinity Ruyton Musical Callbacks, 3:30PM
OTGA Clubs Meeting, 5:30PM
Friends of Snowsports Parent Information Night, The Drum 6:30PM
OTGA Committee Meeting, 7:00PM
Wednesday 8 March
Mouthguard Distribution
Year 7-9 House Swimming Carnival, Boroondara Sports Complex 8:20AM
Prep – Year 2 Parent Helpers and Parent Reading Information Session Online, 8:45AM
Year 10-12 House Swimming Carnival, Boroondara Sports Complex 11:30AM
Year 4 Rumbug Camp concludes, 3:15PM
VCE Study Night, 6:30PM
Thursday 9 March
Junior School Trinity and Ruyton Term 1 Buddy Day
Trinity Shop, 2:00PM-4:00PM
VCE Study Night, 6:30PM
Friday 10 March
Junior School SSV Divisional Swimming Carnival, Oakleigh Recreation Centre & Swimming Pool 10:00AM
Year 3-6 House Sport, Bulleen 1:00PM
Senior School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Labour Day Weekend Rowing Camp commences, Bream Lodge Caravan Park 3:30PM
Dadirri House Exeat, 3:30PM
Year 8G & 8H Gippsland Lakes Camp concludes, 5:30PM
Saturday 11 March
Senior School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 2:00PM
Monday 13 March
Labour Day
Dadirri House return, 5:00PM
Labour Day Weekend Rowing Camp concludes, 7:30PM
Tuesday 14 March
Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 National Testing (NAPLAN) commences
Trinity Ruyton Year 9 Play Rehearsal, Ruyton 3:30PM
VCE Study Night, 6:30PM
Cowey Club Meeting, 7:00PM
Parents’ Association AGM, 7:00PM