Newsletter: Edition 3, Term 3 – 2023
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From the Principal
Early Learning Centre
Junior School
Senior School
Cocurricular
Chaplain’s Chat
Community
From the Principal
Adrian Farrer
Principal
Early Learning Centre
Each day, our ELC children are provided with many diverse and varied opportunities to explore, investigate and inquire, all of which our students pursue with great enthusiasm and energy. It has been wonderful to observe the educational growth occurring within our space this term.
Our youngest learners have been actively involved in a project involving travel and holidays. The students have been engaging in conversations about their travel destinations over the holiday break. Using a world map, they have identified the places they have visited, both within Australia and abroad. The discussion has also centred on different means of transportation for travel.
Meanwhile, the children in the Kangaroo Room have been immersed in a study of our city of Melbourne, creating many famous landmarks, our own homes, Trinity Grammar School, hospitals, cars, city buildings, the Yarra river, Bolte Bridge, Luna Park through mixed media. Our students shared their ongoing collaborative project with the Prep students during the week.
It has been wonderful to observe these inquiries unfold within our Early Learning Centre classrooms and our children’s high level of engagement and valuable contributions to collaborative learning.
Naomi Wright
Director of the Early Learning Centre
Junior School
After much time reading about Trinity Grammar School and listening to friends and family speak so highly about this school, it is wonderful to finally arrive and experience what others have spoken about. My first impressions affirm what everyone has been saying; “What a beautiful school”, “It’s so welcoming” and “The students are so insightful”.
Walking through the gates of Trinity, you are met with an environment that values the child; great play spaces that nurture developing friendships. The students, staff and parents have shown that a culture of inclusivity is alive and well; I feel very welcome.
Attending a Junior School assembly on my first day allowed me to see the very special parts of Trinity; beautiful music played by talented musicians, our Year 9 students sharing the scientific expertise to our younger students through the Formula 1 car design they have undertaken as part of the World Championships they will attend in September, the certificates awarded the boys in each year level highlighting great effort and attitude, as well as the spirited singing.
It is wonderful to now be part of the aspirational culture here at Trinity and I look forward to meeting all of you in the weeks and months to come.
Year 1 students on the way to a buddy session with Ruyton.
Year 6 students enjoying the library.
Kieran McCrohan
Head of Junior School
Hockey 7s Beachside Division Competition
A group of Year 5 and 6 students represented Trinity Grammar School in the Hockey 7s round robin competition on Thursday 27 July. Trinity defeated Toorak Primary School 2-1 and defeated Gardenvale Primary School 7-1. The team have earned their spot to represent Trinity at the Metro Regional Division competition.
The boys showed wonderful teamwork and sportsmanship, along with great hockey skills and enjoyment for the game. Many thanks to the very enthusiastic Year 12 students for assisting on the day with their coaching and motivation. Well done Trinity Hockey!
Sara Jenner
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Senior School
RoboCup competition
This year marked the initiation of Trinity’s Robotics Club, comprised of a dynamic group of roughly 20 passionate and committed students. Our primary focus in the club has been on building a robot capable of competing in the prestigious RoboCup challenge.
Within the club, our students have developed an array of skills, such as conceptualising designs, selecting optimal components, programming, assembling, and even crafting custom parts through 3D printing, among other competencies.
Despite it being our maiden year, we’ve successfully launched four competitive teams in the RoboCup challenge, an achievement in itself. One of our teams managed to secure an impressive third place in the finals, a testament to their dedication and hard work.
Thomas and Chris showcasing their self-constructed robot.
Notably, our teams were among the few who crafted, assembled, and programmed their robots entirely from scratch, steering clear of any pre-assembled Lego robots or parts.
Laura Fuentes
The Bunting Oration
Last Wednesday night we held the annual Bunting Oration, Trinity’s public speaking competition for students in Years 11 and 12. The speakers were Tom, Roy, Daniel, Antuan, Robinson, Oliver, Daniel, Eddie, and Ren-Hao.
Best Speaker was won by Robinson, who gave a fascinating exegesis of Oppenheimer, and the Special Mention award went to Eddie, who hilariously used a pair of sports shorts in his impromptu speech on “Manners”.
But all the speakers were brilliant, their speeches insightful and brave. Well done, boys!
The next oration is the Leslie, for students in Years 9 and 10. It will begin at 6:00pm, September 7 in The Drum. Put that date in your calendar if you want to see some brilliant speeches!
The TIC, judge, and speakers of the 2023 Bunting Oration.
Mitch Furi
TIC of Public Speaking
A reflection from Alastair Murphy on the International Physics Olympiad
After trekking out to Mongolia for the Asian Physics Olympiad earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to hop back on another plane and head to Tokyo to participate in the International Physics Olympiad.
During the sweltering Japanese summer, I joined 400 other students from around the world to complete ten hours of exams, covering both theory and experimental practice. While our country leaders were busy marking our papers, our team explored Japan, from the dizzying heights of Tokyo city to the peaceful temples throughout the countryside, while of course tasting some delicious cuisine.
Before the competition drew to a close, we were lucky enough to be lectured by not one but two Nobel Laureates, on pioneering work done in developing blue LEDs, as well as ground-breaking research into neutrinos, using a 50,000 metric ton tank of water located a kilometre underground.
All in all, it was an amazing experience and an honour to be part of the competition.
Alastair Murphy
Year 12, Academic Co-Captain
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Cocurricular
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Middle School Play
Tickets are now available to attend our 2023 Middle Years Play, Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents.
The play follows a conniving and streetwise cat, Maurice, as he leads his clever rat companions and a curious human boy named Keith on a thrilling con; fooling towns into believing they have a rat infestation. But in Bad Blintz, a dark secret emerges, testing their scam and commitment to each other.
Performances are on September 1 and 2, featuring our talented cast and crew of Year 7s and 8s. With limited tickets available, secure yours now!
https://events.humanitix.com/the-amazing-maurice-and-his-educated-rodents
Rebecca Cecil
Productions Manager, Drama Department
Trinity Jazz Night – Almost sold out!
Our highly anticipated Trinity Jazz Night returns on Friday 18 August 2023. With the backdrop of the beautiful Melbourne city skyline, enjoy a sit-down two course meal whilst listening to outstanding jazz performances of several well-known jazz classics and standards by Trinity’s small jazz combos and big bands. There will be performances by Junior Jazz, Trintones, Jazz Apprentices, Augmented 7’s, Belling Jazz, Big Band, and the Stage Band.
In addition, we are pleased to announce that this year’s event will feature guest artist Kyrie Anderson, one of Australia’s premiere drummers. Kyrie will collaborate and perform with some of our ensembles, as well as present a world-class set of her own music with renowned jazz musicians Andrea Keller (piano) and Sam Anning (bass).
Don’t miss out! Book your tickets and select your seats here:
https://events.humanitix.com/trinity-grammar-school-jazz-night-2023
Mr Jamie Ransome
Head of Brass, Wind and Bands
Chamber Soiree – A Night to Remember
On Thursday 27 July, our various senior school music ensembles came together to perform at our Annual Chamber Soiree. An impressive number of ensembles took to the stage and performed extraordinary musical items ranging in styles. We would like to applaud all student performers for committing to this concert and making it a memorable evening for all. Thank you also to our devoted instrumental music staff who worked tirelessly in the background to ensure a smooth concert. Congratulations to the following ensemble groups:
Piano Trio (6 Hands) – Directed by Mrs Chiah Quah
Brass Trio – Directed by Mr Spiros Kessaris
Brass Quintet – Directed by Mr Spiros Kessaris
Cello Choir – Directed by Ms Jasmine Alexandra
Piano Trio – Directed by Mrs Thérèse McCoppin
Clarion Ensemble – Directed by Mr David Laity
Strike Oboe Trio – Directed by Ms Anne Gilby
Saxophone Quartet – Directed by Mr Jamie Ransome
Awesome Oboes – Directed by Ms Anne Gilby
Trinity String Quartet – Directed by Mrs Thérèse McCoppin
The Burritt Ensemble – Directed by Mr James Lewis Fox
Bigger Better Brains – Essential articles for parents about music education.
Read more here:
https://biggerbetterbrains.com/news-post/i-succeeded-as-an-entrepreneur-because-of-my-music-degree/
https://biggerbetterbrains.com/news-post/are-pianists-at-an-advantage-when-learning-surgical-skills/
Jan Blazejczak
Director of Music
Long Library Literary Dinner
Book via: https://events.humanitix.com/literary-dinner-2023
Anna Antoniadis
Head of Senior School Library Services
Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT)
This year 157 students from both Junior and Senior School participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition of which 103 students received awards. These awards are a testament to their dedication and commitment to improving their computational and algorithmic skills.
This competition is a one-hour problem-solving competition. Although no programming experience is required, the competition helps to identify students’ computer programming potential, and encourages students to solve real-world problems.
Notable Achievements:
- Daniel Hsu (Year 5) and Jerry Shi (Year 9) achieved the Best in School award and a High Distinction, showcasing exceptional performance.
- 19 students earned a High Distinction, placing them in the top 2% of their year levels.
- Another 19 students received a Distinction, ranking among the top 10%.
- 63 students were awarded a Credit, placing them in the top 40% of their year levels.
Congratulations and well done to all students who participated in this competition. The accomplishments of these students highlight their proficiency in this area and their hard work.
All names of students and their awards can be found on MyTGS here.
Best in School and High Distinction awards
| Division | First Name | Last Name |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Daniel | Hsu |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Jerry | Shi |
High Distinction award
| Division | First Name | Last Name |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | David | Wang |
| Junior – Year 7 | Scott | Jin |
| Junior – Year 7 | Ryan | Lui |
| Junior – Year 7 | Derek | Qian |
| Junior – Year 7 | Aric | Tang |
| Junior – Year 7 | Beyond | Xu |
| Junior – Year 8 | David | Yang |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Tyler | Zheng |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Leo | Guo |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Oliver | Li |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Chris | Qiu |
Distinction award
| Division | First Name | Last Name |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Ivan | Chen |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Archer | Kenwright |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Zhenchong | Liu |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Evan | Ngiam |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Christopher | Yim |
| Junior – Year 7 | Xavier | Lu |
| Junior – Year 7 | Kosei | Ooka |
| Junior – Year 8 | Mike | Xu |
| Junior – Year 8 | Ziming | Xu |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Jack | Lauder |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Timothy | Ma |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Matthew | Lo |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Eason | Yang |
| Senior – Year 11 | Owen | Scott-Murphy |
| Senior – Year 12 | Eric | Li |
| Senior – Year 12 | Xukun | Wang |
Credit award
| Division | First Name | Last Name |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Harvey | Huang |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Ryan | Sim |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Joseph | Chen |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Axel | Fedele |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Jack | Kearney |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Sunny | Wei |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Ryan | Bahrami |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Arinze | Ezenwa |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Peter | Huynh |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Yuhan | Li |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Nolan | Menzies |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Ethan | Peng |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Spencer | Talbot |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Ethan | Yao |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Austin | Zhou |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Joshua | Koe |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Rocky | Yu |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | James | Moutsios |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Sam | Rooke |
| Upper Primary – Year 5 | Aaron | Wang |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Martin | Wang |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Nestor | Xi |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Andy | Xu |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Kaiwen | Xu |
| Upper Primary – Year 6 | Ming | Zou |
| Junior – Year 7 | Michael | Cao |
| Junior – Year 7 | Kameron | Chen |
| Junior – Year 7 | Yuvin | De Silva |
| Junior – Year 7 | Evan | Deng |
| Junior – Year 7 | Patrick | Lai |
| Junior – Year 8 | Jake | Alexander |
| Junior – Year 8 | Tony | Ma |
| Junior – Year 8 | Nathan | Lai |
| Junior – Year 8 | Alex | Yim |
| Junior – Year 8 | Jeremy | Kim |
| Junior – Year 8 | James | Lin |
| Junior – Year 8 | Justin | Xiong |
| Junior – Year 8 | Luca | Hartnett |
| Junior – Year 8 | Maxwell | Cheung |
| Junior – Year 8 | Steven | Shen |
| Junior – Year 8 | Alex | Zhang |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Jerrard | Chan |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Chenxin | Hao |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Lucas | Twigg |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Alex | Twigg |
| Intermediate – Year 9 | Luke | Wang |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Peter | Cai |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Bill | Chen |
| Intermediate – Year 10 | Jason | Huang |
| Senior – Year 11 | Shishun | Dai |
| Senior – Year 11 | Tom | Le |
| Senior – Year 11 | Edward | Peng |
| Senior – Year 11 | Joseph | Timm |
| Senior – Year 11 | Eric | Wu |
| Senior – Year 12 | Gabriel | Garriock |
| Senior – Year 12 | Andrew | Liu |
| Senior – Year 12 | Alastair | Murphy |
| Senior – Year 12 | Zeyuan (Rob) | Zhang |
Angela Kotsiras
Academic Extension and Enrichment Programs Coordinator
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Chaplain’s Chat
You may have heard it said that we should ‘be the hands and feet of Christ’. Indeed, St. Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has… no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” But what if you have no hands or feet? This is the case for a man about whom the Junior School has learned in Chapel lately. Melbourne man, Nick Vujicic was born with neither hands nor feet, yet has gone on to be a renowned preacher, travelling worldwide to teach people God’s message of love and hope, especially to those living with a disability.
Nick’s childhood was a loving one, but life was difficult and he was bullied as a result of his disability. One day, his mother showed him an article about a severely disabled person that dramatically changed his mindset. He realised that perhaps there were people struggling even more than him, and that God might even have a plan to use him to give other people hope – hope that He does have a plan for every single one of us.
Nick’s desire to focus on the things he can do, rather than those he can’t, has led him to learn how to swim, surf, use a computer, play soccer and even drive! As he says, “You can either be angry for what you don’t have, or grateful for what you do have.”
Nick is now married with four beautiful children and travels the world, inspiring millions with his testimony of hope and trust that as God’s precious children, he has a plan for each of us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Cecilia Fairlie
Junior School Chaplain
Community
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
Memorial Service – Barbara Argall
Past Trinity Head of Strings, Barbara Argall’s memorial service will be held on Sunday 10 September, from 2-5pm at Glen Iris Uniting Church (200 Glen Iris Road, Glen Iris).
Any current or past staff and/or students who wish to pay their respects are invited to attend. Please contact communityengagement@trinity.vic.edu.au if you require further details.
Important Dates
Thursday 10 August
Trinity Shop, 2:00PM-4:00PM
Junior School Musical Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM
Rowing Information Evening, Arnold Hall 6:30PM
Friday 11 August
Year 9A-9D Immersion Program concludes
Year 9G- 9H Licola Outdoor Education Gunaikurnai concludes, 5:45PM
Middle School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Saturday 12 August
VSRU Grand Final
AGSV vs APS Representative Winter Sport
AGSV Athletics Trial Meeting #2 Dolomore Reserve 9:00AM
Middle School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Sunday 13 August
Symphony Orchestra and Senior Choir Rehearsal, Centre for the Arts 12:00PM
Monday 14 August
Year 12 (2024) Leadership applications open
Winter Sports Photos, 12:00PM
Junior School Musical Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
JSP Debating Arnold Hall, 6:00PM
Tuesday 15 August
Sutton House Breakfast & Chapel, 7:15AM
JSP Debating Arnold Hall, 6:00PM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM
Enhanced Learning Information Session, 6:15PM Online
Year 7 (2024) Information Night, 6:30PM Online
Parents’ Association Meeting, 7:00PM
Wednesday 16 August
Middle School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM
Combined Winter Sports Dinner, Centre for the Arts 6:30PM
Thursday 17 August
Junior School Musical Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
2003 OTG Reunion, Exhibition Space on top of The Drum, 6:30PM
Friday 18 August
Year 12 (2024) Leadership applications close
Middle School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Trinity Jazz Night, Centre for the Arts 6:30PM
Saturday 19 August
AGSV Representative Winter Sport vs APS
Trinity Shop, 10:30AM-12:30PM
Middle School Play Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Monday 21 August
Victorian Interschool Snowsports Championships, Mt Buller commences
Year 12 (2024) Leadership interviews commence
National Skills Week commences
Junior School Musical Rehearsal, P&F Hall 3:30PM
Tuesday 22 August
Arnold House Breakfast & Chapel, Centre for the Arts 7:15AM
VCE Study Night, 6:00PM