Maddingley
Year 7: The First Month
We have nearly completed our first month and I would like to give you a snapshot of how your child is settling in and what the school is doing to support your child.
We started the year off with all the Year 7 students attending Staughton Vale in what we call “Get to Know You Day” in which all the students take part in various activities as a class. It’s a great opportunity to get to know everyone, especially as half of the class and year are new to the school. The next day we spent again as a class getting organised with our diaries, Chrome books, photos and lockers etc.
The start of Week 2 saw our students getting to know their new teachers and subjects, and the week flew by. In order to help with the transition of our new students, all the Year 7 students have a phased introduction to homework.
This approach helps reduce anxiety and stress by gradually acclimatising students to the new workload. It also supports the development of effective study habits and accommodates the diverse educational backgrounds of our students. Optional homework will be available, particularly for those who were in Year 6 at BMG in 2024 and still want to complete it.
Next week will see our students taking part in and supporting their Houses at the Middle School Swimming Competition. The following week, on 3 March, all our Year 7 students will have a workshop with Darren Pereira, a renowned Australian school speaker, alongside all other Year 7 students. Darren will help them develop the skills and attitudes they need to thrive in Year 7 and beyond. In the evening, we will offer parents and guardians the opportunity to gain advice from Darren at a parent workshop on how to help your child transition positively into Year 7. We are organising a parent evening on the same day at the school from 6 pm to 7 pm for parents to hear from Darren about strategies to help their child transition to secondary education. This would be a great opportunity to help you understand the issues early adolescent children are facing. An email has been sent to all parents about this.
In Week 8, we will be supporting our Year 7 students with a cyber security training workshop helping them to navigate the dangers of the internet and social media.
We will also be hosting our Parent/Teacher Interviews during that and the following week.
In Week 9 NAPLAN will be held as well as our Middle School Athletics Carnival! Between these dates, we will also have visits to Staughton Vale, and sporting competitions such as BMPSSA and ICCES.
So, as you can see, we have had and still have, a lot to get through and this is keeping your child busy. It can be a stressful time for both you and your child. My own advice in supporting your child to navigate this time is to let them talk about their experiences. If they are struggling, support them but also see it as an opportunity to help develop the skills they will need as an adult. As a parent, I understand the strong desire to solve our children’s problems, but this can take away the opportunity for them to show resilience, again, a skill they need to learn as an adult. That said, informing the school if your child is struggling or encountering issues is the best policy, if only to keep the school informed.
Scott Bayne – Head of Middle School: Maddingley
Year 7 Camp
From Monday 17 February until Wednesday 19 February, our Year 7 cohort undertook their surf rescue camp, provided by the YMCA in Anglesea. On top of learning how to surf and how to be safe around the ocean, students completed activities such as mountain bike riding, canoeing and taking a chance on the giant swing! A few of our stellar Year 7s from Tutor Group 7G spoke to their Tutor Group teachers, Miss Zammit and Mrs Pentony, about their time on camp:
Matilda M: “The thing I liked most about camp was spending time with my friends. The thing I am most proud of myself for is giving every activity a try, especially surfing, which I was better at than I expected. If I could change anything about camp it would be the vertical challenge because it rained just before I attempted it so it was really hard.”
Aahana S: “What I loved most about camp was that we got to build tents, cook our own food, and also got to do mountain biking. The thing that I am most proud of that I did in camp is probably finishing the vertical climb. The thing that I would change about camp would probably be that my group would get to do more water activities like canoeing, and I also really wanted to try out skateboarding.”
Divit N: “I liked how we went to do a lot of different activities that made our stay very enjoyable and it pulled us out of our comfort zone. I learnt how to surf in our surfing activity. It was very important about how we should be careful around the sea. That we stay for longer such as two more days would be better so that we could complete the activities we did not get to do, but overall the experience was exquisite.”
Shakespeare Incursion
On March 18 and 19, Year 6 students had the exciting opportunity to participate in an engaging incursion with Bell Shakespeare, a renowned theatre company. The team visited our school to help us deepen our understanding of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream while enhancing our acting skills in preparation for our upcoming performance assessment. Throughout the session, we took part in a variety of interactive games designed to boost our confidence and creativity. One memorable activity involved acting out the concept of a forest and, surprisingly, a fork and knife! Additionally, we worked together as a class to perform a condensed 10-minute version of the play, where we had fun experimenting with Shakespearean language and embracing the whimsical nature of the characters. This experience not only sharpened our acting abilities but also made the world of Shakespeare come alive in a way that was both educational and incredibly fun!
Manreet, Divjot & Lorelei 6B
Woodlea
Year 7’s “Get to Know You” Day
Our Year 7 students recently had the opportunity to spend a day at Staughton Vale. The day, designed as a “Get to Know You Day,” allowed students to build connections with their peers, develop important teamwork and leadership skills and experience the importance of culture and belonging within their school community.
Throughout the day, the students participated in a variety of activities, including orienteering, House competition, the history of Staughton Vale and self-reflection. One of the most meaningful aspects of the day was the chance for each student to write a letter to their Year 12 self, offering them a chance to reflect on their journey and set goals for their future.
The House competition events throughout the day played an important role in strengthening the students’ sense of belonging. The series of outdoor games, including tug-o-war and various relay-style challenges, gave students the opportunity to compete in a fun and friendly atmosphere, all while encouraging teamwork and House spirit.
The competition was tight, with the final results as follows:
1st: Pyrites – 205 points
2nd: Parwan and Toolern – 200 points
3rd: Lerderderg – 195 points
4th: Pykes – 190 points
5th: Kororoit – 185 points
6th: Djerriwarrh – 180 points
7th: Dale – 175 points
Aneli 7WF shared how the day helped her build teamwork and leadership skills. “It was great to bond with my House, Dale,” Aneli said, “and I especially enjoyed writing the letter to my Year 12 self. It will be interesting to reflect on what I did in 2025 at the end of VCE.”
Dean 7WD, another Year 7 student, found that Staughton Vale offered more than just a farm-like setting. “The campus is less of a farm and more of a school with farms around it,” he said. He particularly enjoyed the outdoor activities, especially orienteering and tug-o-war. “It was a fun way to explore the campus, and the House competitions were a great way to work together even though we didn’t know each other at first.”
A big thank you to all the staff and students who made the day such a memorable success!
Krystal Pitt – Head of Year 7 Woodlea
Year 7 Deep Time Incursion
On February 17 and 18, the Year 7’s took part in an incursion based on archaeology run by two archaeologists, Bella and Stephanie.
We learnt about how scientists determine how old artefacts are using carbon dating and other methods. Bella and Stephanie showed us how archaeologists excavate areas and how different remains can help with understanding how things were.
Then the actual activity began. We had 4 tables, each with a box of sand but in the sand were hidden artefacts waiting to be found. After finding an artefact, we noted down where in the box we uncovered it, what material we thought it was made of and whether it was a broken or complete piece. We had to match the artefact to what it looked like using a book that held the information of the climate in the area and what it truly was. It was lots of fun excavating artefacts with tools in the sand.
After everyone had finished the work, we inspected other tables and their artefacts. Some had plastic bottle caps, some had glass and some had bones.
This archaeology incursion was similar to our current topic in Global Studies which is Deep Time Australia. We are now learning about Indigenous history where much of the information has come from archaeology. This develops a deeper and clearer understanding of our current topic by showing how some of the artefacts might have been found. This Global Studies incursion was very informative and expanded our knowledge of Archaeology and Deep Time.
Saanvi 7F
