From Year 8
We hope everyone had a well-deserved and restful break. It has been a pleasing start to Term 3, with lots of energy and engaging learning already taking place across the school.
This week, during Monday's Wellbeing session in Period 3, our Year 8 and 9 students had the valuable opportunity to attend a presentation by the Pat Cronin Foundation. The session focused on the powerful and often complex emotion of anger. Through emotional, relatable, and compelling storytelling, students explored the themes of social violence, aggression, and conflict resolution.
The presentation sparked meaningful reflection on the consequences of social conflict and the importance of understanding emotional triggers. Students were also encouraged to consider practical strategies for managing anger and de-escalating situations before they escalate.
We are confident that this session provided our students with important life skills and insights. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Pat Cronin Foundation and offering further opportunities for our students to grow in resilience, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Below are student reflections on how their first week back have been.
Julia Li
Year 8 Leader
On Monday, we had a guest speaker present a message about violence. We learnt about Pat Cronin and his story that had deeply moved all the other students and I. We were reminded that violence is never OK, not ever. This incursion challenged us to think carefully about our actions, learn how to manage our anger, and walk away reminded how much damage a single punch could do to someone's life.
Emily 8C
Throughout this week I learnt a lot of valuable lessons ranging from violence to what Harry Potter house I was in. The first day was like any other day except we learnt a valuable lesson, The Pat Cronin foundation came to our school and explained how violence is never okay. We were explained how peer pressure and simple punches can kill and destroy people’s life. My key take away is thinking before acting. The next day we had our first year 8 Drama Class, it was extremely fun because we played musical chairs. On Wednesday we found out that we had new student named Edward, but sadly he was on holidays so he couldn't come. But that day we still got to see our substitute for Ms G, Ms Hooper who was nice. Our whole class were very well behaved and as class Captain, I can confidently say that our class made a good first impression. On Thursday we had ACS, I played badminton and even after a 2 week break me and my teammate were able to almost beat the St Leonards team, and trust me, they are very good. On Friday we were going to make Teriyaki Glaze Meatballs but since I was a vegetarian I was given a separate recipe. Teriyaki Glazed Falafels. They may not sound as good or taste as good but I still love how much commitment and effort the teachers put in towards making my Food tech experience just as fun as others.
Anirudh 8C
On Tuesday my class had our first Drama class for the semester. We played a game similar to musical chairs/statues except there was one chair in the middle that we all rotated around. When the music stopped you would wait for the teacher to say ether Superman, Dead Ant, or Farther and Son, which were all poses we learned beforehand. If you were the last one to pose or didn’t pose properly then you were eliminated. I somehow made it to the final four before I was eliminated but I still had loads of fun posing with friends. Sometimes the teacher added in other rules like, skipping or pretend swimming while going round the chair, and occasionally they merged two poses together to see how people interpreted the new pose.
George 8C
On Monday, we had the Pat Cronin talk. It was very interesting; it told us how violence is never the answer and there are always other ways. It opened my eyes to how I see violence because, in one punch, you could ruin a family, all because you thought it would be cool and it would get you likes. It also taught us about how far peer pressure can go. On Tuesday, my class had their first drama lesson. This was the highlight because I enjoyed interacting with my classmates, and I got to know them a lot better than I did before. There was a lot of laughter and giggling and just overall a good time. For Wednesday, I feel like I struggled. We had math that day, and it was the first time we were doing it for the week. I could not remember anything from last term, so that’s why I struggled on Wednesday. For Thursday, my highlight would have to be ACS we had the reason why I think this because we travelled far, and when we got there, we got to compete against my old school, It was fun seeing old faces, and once we finished our matches, the badminton team got to talk and catch up on our holiday. This would have to my favourite day of the whole school week. Finally, we have Friday, my favourite part of that day will have to be P.E. This was the first lesson on our dancing curriculum, it was super fun and interactive. I had the best time with my friends, but I did go a bit overboard with the dancing, but still, overall, all a good time. In conclusion, my first week of school was fun, enjoyable, and an amazing time.
Adison 8A