Victorian government schools shining locally and globally

www.education.vic.gov.au/shine
Content written by Victorian government school students. Helping your community shine.
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Wednesday, June 16, 2010 Fundraiser helps orphans - Page 3
Making a difference
The inside story on
principal Greg Williams
By Samyukta Sausman,Year 10
Mr Greg Williams has been the
principal of Diamond Valley College
for two years. Previous to this, he
was the principal of Broadmeadows
Secondary College for three years.
Mr Williams has been teaching
for 32 years. He originally taught
English and Humanities, then
worked his way up the ranks to
become assistant principal and
then principal.
When asked about his own
school years, Mr Williams has
fond memories. He was a student
at Thornbury High School and
really enjoyed the subjects English,
Literature, Politics and Biology. It
wasn’t until later at school that he
was inspired to become a teacher
and this became his main goal.
Samyukta gets the inside story on principal Greg Williams.
When asked about his career
decision Mr Williams says, “I have a
love of learning and wanted to be
able to inspire students. A career
in teaching offers the opportunity
to make a difference to future
generations and is very rewarding.”
“As principal, I enjoy being able to
make decisions about the running
of the school, and work with my
teaching staff to constantly look
at ways to improve the school,”
he says.
Out of school Mr Williams is
a keen Carlton supporter. He
also enjoys gardening, reading
and spending time with his family.
When he gets the opportunity he
loves to travel and would love to
revisit Canada, the USA and see
more of Australia.
Victorian government schools
shining locally and globally
Victorian government school classrooms reflect some of the most advanced
thinking in teaching and learning in the world.
Team teaching, personalised learning, flexible working spaces for individual work and group
presentations, and the latest technologies are supporting and advancing children’s education.
These features are being incorporated into Victorian government schools and are the centrepiece
of a demonstration classroom at the Shanghai World Expo this year.
Victorian government schools are giving every child every opportunity to shine.
For more information go to www.education.vic.gov.au
For an information booklet SMS ‘student’ to 13 46 88
Standard SMS charges apply. Not
available on Vodafone and 3 networks
DIAMOND VALLEY COLLEGE
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Ironman of
music
By Murray Wright and Lochie Yeats, Year 10
“
His achievements in events include
winning the Adidas Jones cycle series in 1999.
“
After leaving school Mr Nicholls joined the army and
worked in it for 37 years. He dreamed of a career in music
and trained to become a full-time music teacher once his
army years were over. He is an experienced music teacher
and has been at Diamond Valley College for 3 years.
Mr Nicholls also has a passion for fitness and loves to
compete in Ironman competitions and triathlons. He has to
train hard for these events, so before school starts he gets
up early at 4am and runs till 6.30am.
His winning achievements in events include the Adidas Jones
cycle series in 1999 and, more recently, gaining seventh
place in Ironman Australia 2010, competing in the age group
55 to 58. Mr Nicholls finds the swimming section of the
competitions the most gruelling but makes up for this by
being faster in the running and the bike.
Mr Nicholls is not only an inspiration to Diamond Valley
College students for his music, but also in his dedication
to fitness and training.
Tahliah displaying some of her merchandise to fellow students Demi McGaw and Megan Marsh.
Tahliah Fleming the fashion guru
Little ripples creating big swells
By Demi McGaw, Simone Zammit, Megan Marsh and Brittany Ellis, Year 10
Tahliah Fleming, a Year 10 student at Diamond Valley College,
is already pursuing her dreams of becoming a fashion
designer at only 15 years old.
Tahliah has started her own surf brand called Southern
Swells, through which she designs and sells her own clothing
line. She started working on her business a few years ago
after being inspired by her dad’s surfboard designs, and after
spending many holidays at Ocean Grove surfing with family
and friends.
At school Tahliah is an artistic student who enjoys her elective
subjects of Fashion Making, Art and Digital Photography.
Although she is still studying Year 10, starting her own business
has made Tahliah sure that she would like to pursue a career in
fashion design once she leaves school.
“I love to come up with unique fashion ideas and it’s great to
see friends wearing my designs,” says Tahliah.
Student shaves for a cure
Emily was motivated to raise money for
leukaemia research by getting involved in
the ‘Shave for a Cure’ fundraiser. She was
keen to raise as much money as possible
in return for shaving off her hair.
Danielle
Leiminger
and Natalie
Paterson
Year 10
Emily happy to ‘Shave for a cure’.
Not many teenage girls in the middle of
high school would have the courage to
shave off their hair. But Emily Pritcher, a
brave student at Diamond Valley College,
recently decided to do just this and took
up the challenge.
Through donations from local businesses,
family and friends Emily raised $1400. A
further $1350 was raised by contributions
from students and staff at Diamond
Valley College.
“On the day of the shave I was quite
nervous,” says Emily, “but all the donations
made it worthwhile, and in the end I
found it quite liberating! I’d encourage
friends and family to try it next year and
help raise even more money.”
Emily has also taken part in a community
program with Reach, an Australia-wide
youth organisation. She also took part in
a trip to Antarctica with an international
organisation for environmental studies.
“Being part of community projects
and fundraising has helped me to
gain lots of experience,” says Emily.
“I’d really encourage other students to
get involved.”
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Mr Gary Nicholls is a music teacher at Diamond Valley
College, who has had a passion for music from a young age.
During his time at high school Mr Nicholls learnt how to
play many musical instruments. He is very talented, being
able to play the trombone, tuba and saxaphone.
Victorian government schools are part of a
strong and vibrant education system that
ensures every child has the opportunity to thrive,
learn and grow.
To find out more about the range of options and opportunities
available to children in government schools, contact Information
Victoria on 1300 366 356 to order your free copy of our parent
guides, Welcome to School and A Parent’s Guide to Victorian
Government Schools, or visit www.education.vic.gov.au
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
DIAMOND VALLEY COLLEGE
Female teachers on the ball
Kyle Thomson
and Kirsty
Lamb
Fundraiser
helps
orphans
By Megan Marsh, Simone
Zammit, Demi McGaw and
Brittany Ellis, Year 10
Year 10
In April 2010 three Diamond
Valley College students decided
they wanted to make a
difference to the lives of those
less fortunate than themselves.
Students Jordan McGaw, Emma
Churches and Mitchell Betheras
focused on helping an orphanage
in Cambodia.
Two Diamond Valley College
teachers, Ms Zoe Slater and Ms Kara
Chisholm, are inspiring students
to get behind women’s football at
the school.
Both teachers enjoy playing football
in their free time for Diamond
Creek Women’s Football Club.
Jordan, Emma and Mitchell
purchased 20kg of rice to sell in
bowls to students and staff for $4,
along with a bottle of water. They
were able to serve 120 bowls
and demonstrate how little the
Cambodian children have to eat.
“
The busier you
are, the more organised
you become, and that
has the benefits of a
good life balance.
“
Ms Slater recently moved into the
Diamond Creek community and
started teaching at the school.
She has enjoyed playing women’s
football since high school and is
Talented teachers showing students Kyle and Kirsty their footballing skills.
keen to promote it at Diamond
Valley College. She persuaded
Ms Chisholm to also take up the
sport. Both teachers get positive
support from the teachers and
students at the college.
“The students love it. It’s great to
see them come and support us,”
Ms Slater says. She believes that
taking on the commitment of being
on a sports team also improves
her teaching.
“The busier you are, the more
organised you become, and that
has the benefits of a good life balance,”
she says. “I encourage students
to join a team at school for the
same reasons.”
Ms Slater is also the sports
coordinator at Diamond Valley
College, so she is in a good position
to encourage more female
students to try football. She’s a
very motivating teacher who gives
students lots of encouragement,
helping them to do their best
at sporting events and at school
in general.
Geraldine Cox, who runs the
orphanage, was impressed by the
fundraising idea from the Diamond
Valley students. “The money they
have raised will make a huge
difference to the lives of children
at the orphanage,” she said.
Overall, the students raised a total
of $1200, with money still coming
in from the bottles of water that
are being sold in the canteen.
Off to the outback
y
Rohan Kearne
and Callum
Sexton
Year 10
On the 19th of June, 52 students from Diamond Valley
College will be setting off to Alice Springs to explore the
Australian outback.
The trip will take seven days, with students travelling by
bus. After starting out early at 6.15am, the first main
stop will be in Adelaide to look around the city.
They will arrive at Coober Pedy the next day to
experience an opal-mining town. Students will get
to see opals being cut and polished and will be
sleeping underground, a part of the trip everyone is
excited about.
From Coober Pedy the next stop is Uluru, where
students will set up camp for two nights and get the
opportunity to hike around this famous Australian
landmark. The final two nights will be spent in Alice
Springs before returning home on flights from Adelaide.
For all the students participating in the trip it will be a
chance to experience some things that they have never
done before, like camping, staying in a caravan park
or flying on a plane. They are all looking forward to
exploring more of Australia.
Uluru, where the pupils will be camping.
Helping your child to shine
Children whose parents are involved in their learning are more likely
to have an easier transition to school, higher levels of confidence,
more positive attitudes to learning and better learning outcomes.
Talk with your child’s teacher about how you can best support your child’s
learning at home.
You can also participate in your child’s learning through or school councils,
parent clubs, volunteering or simply by staying up to date with news about what
is happening at your kindergarten or school.
www.education.vic.gov.au 1800 809 834
DIAMOND VALLEY COLLEGE
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Students take on
World Challenge
By Nicole Rawald and Madeline Williams, Year 10
In March 2011, 20 students from
Diamond Valley College (DVC) will
have the opportunity to take part
in World Challenge. It is the first
time the school has participated,
and the event will be taking place in
Vietnam for a month.
Nicole and Madeline check out where Vietnam is in the world.
World Challenge sends students
to underdeveloped countries.
The students get to experience
and explore a different culture
and contribute to disadvantaged
communities.
The expedition will be entirely
led by students.
They face
the challenge of planning their
itinerary, finding their way across
the country, managing money,
organising a community-based
project to support underprivileged
families and raising money to fund
the entire project.
The students involved in next year’s
expedition have already planned a
number of fundraisers. Activities
include an out-of-school uniform
day, barbeques and raffles.
Any fundraising support from
the local community would also
be appreciated.
The participating students are
excited about the adventure ahead
and are proud to be part of the
Challenge. In the future DVC hopes
to send students on the expedition
every second year.
Moving up
the ranks
By Kyle Thomson, Year 10
Kirsty Lamb is a Year 10 student at Diamond
Valley College who has represented Victoria
in women’s cricket.
Kirsty first put bat to ball at the age of five,
playing Milo cricket. She then moved up the
ranks at a junior level, first playing for junior
boys at Yarrambat Cricket Club and then
playing for junior girls at North East Falcons
Cricket Club.
Danielle, happy to be a student at Diamond Valley College.
Diamond Valley College – our second home
Currently, Kirsty plays for three cricket clubs:
Bundoora Old Paradians, North East Falcons
and for Victoria. She has to work hard to
fit in schoolwork alongside her training
commitments, especially when she has to train
for both local clubs and for the state team, but
Kirsty loves her sport so enjoys it all.
By Danielle Grano, Year 10
She gets lots of support from her school
friends and the teachers at Diamond Valley
College. Recently, Kirsty has been working
with the school’s sports coordinator on a plan
to start a female cricket team at the college.
Diamond Valley College (DVC) is a small,
tight-knit school community. The school
is like a second home and feels like one
big family.
The teachers at DVC are very encouraging
and helpful, which makes learning easier. They
know what our challenges and talents are and
help us focus on these areas.
VCE enables students to prepare for a future
career or further studies. We are lucky at
DVC that we have access to lots of careers
advice and counselling.
Being in a smaller school definitely has benefits.
All the students know each other, so it feels
very friendly. Teachers also get to know their
students and provide one-on-one help.
The dedication of our teachers is especially
important when students enter the senior
school years studying for their Victorian
Certificate of Education (VCE).
Our school is also the best because students
get the opportunity to go on some great trips.
The Central Australian Tour for Years 10 and
Years 11 students is definitely a highlight.
Student View CONTRIBUTORS:
Brittany Ellis Year 10; Tahliah Fleming Year 10; Danielle Grano Year 10; Rohan Kearney Year 10; Kirsty Lamb Year 10; Danielle Leiminger Year 10; Megan Marsh Year 10;
Demi McGaw Year 10; Natalie Paterson Year 10; Nicole Rawald Year 10; Samyukta Sausman Year 10; Nathan Searl Year 10; Callum Sexton Year 10; Kyle Thomson Year 10;
Madeline Williams Year 10; Murray Wright Year 10; Lochie Yeats Year 10; Simone Zammit Year 10;
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