St George College | PO Box 29 Torrensville Plaza 5031 | T 8159 8100 CRICOS Provider No: 02799F

Forever Excelling

Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of St George Thebarton and Western Suburbs SA Inc www.stgeorgecollege.sa.edu.au

Reminder

We encourage you to stay

abreast of College news and

developments via our Facebook

page and Website:

https://www.facebook.com/

stgeorgecollege

http://stgeorgecollege.sa.edu.au/

KEY UPDATES MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Mrs Gina Kadis

Our Vision: Dream Big “If you don’t chase your dreams, you will never get a hold of them.” (28 year old Biotech start-

up founder Eleni Antoniadou aims to change medicine forever)

It’s been a great start to the 2017 College year. The Information Day on Monday 30 January saw

us meet as a College community – students, parents, grandparents and staff – to set the academic

and wellbeing learning agenda for students attending our College. It is an opportunity to meet

classroom teachers, get timetables and ensure students know exactly where they need to be and

what they need bring, in order to start classes before recess the first day back. I am very proud of

our staff and students. We have had a fabulous start to the College year. Thank you everyone –

Kali Thinami for a fruitful 2017.

The College Diary (Years 5-12)

Goal setting plays a critical role in the achievement of our dreams. The College Diary plays a

pivotal role in helping students and families work together to set goals and monitor the academic

progress of students at the College. It is also critical for regular communication. Please ensure you

have ordered it from Campion, so students are set up for success. Home Group teachers are

following this up. If you have any questions, please contact Mr Peter Karamoshos – Deputy

Principal and Head of Senior Campus (Years 5-12).

Parents and Friends

We have always had a strong, dynamic group of parents and friends here at St George College. We

are so grateful to one and all for their tireless work and achievements. An active Parents and

Friends helps build community relations and raises funds for special projects. In particular, it’s a

great way to form long-lasting friendships. I encourage you to get involved and support this

dedicated team of parents. They need more hands on deck. If you can offer your support - Contact

Polyxeni Levendis (plevendis@sgc.sa.edu.au). Polyxeni will be supporting the Parents and Friends

Committee with some administrative work. She will pass on your details to the team of parents on

our committee and let you know when the first planning meeting for 2017 will take place.

Staffing update

New Staff: We warmly welcome Carmen Asche (English 8-12); Janice Copeland (Playgroup and

Early Learning Centre); Andrew Kazonis (Learning Support & Unique Directions programs);

Alexandra Mantis (Music and Instrumental Music Coordinator); Cassandra Rogers (Science and

Technology); Rita Rossidis (Junior Campus Reception duties). We look forward to working closely

for the good of our St George College students and community.

Staff returning: We welcome back Theochti Antoniadou from maternity leave. She takes on Year

9 Home Group duties and teaching Greek on the Senior Campus in 2017.

Enrichment programs on both campuses: Peter Karamoshos will take on Mathematics

enrichment; Tasoula Mitropoulos Modern Greek and Stephanie Gao will offer enrichment

Chinese.

Volume 30 | Issue 1 | Friday, 10 February 2017

GREEK SCHOOL NEWS

Greek School classes are held on Saturday mornings between 9am - 12pm at the St George College senior campus.

Lessons include learning the Greek language and culture as well as Greek dancing.

For enrolment details and further information please contact Maria Miltiadous on 0421 064 441.

MONDAY

2:45pm—3:45pm

TUESDAY

8:15am—9:15pm

THURSDAY

2:45pm—3:45pm

UNIFORM SHOP HOURS

continued from page 1

Staff on maternity leave: We congratulate Kelly Pridmore on the

safe arrival of Emmanuel just before Christmas. We wish her well

as she spends a fruitful year caring for Grace, Gabriel and

Emmanuel. Anthea Moro is also on leave, spending precious time

with Gisela. We look forward to their return in 2018.

College Blessing

Thank you to Bishop Nikandros, the Very Reverend Father

Patsouris and Father Kon Skoumbrourdis for leading this special

ceremony on Tuesday 7 February. It reminds us how lucky we are

to be part of this generous spiritual community, that always looks

after the wellbeing of students, staff, parents and grandparents

and carers. Good health and prosperity to everyone.

In closing, I urge us all to DREAM BIG. The words of Eleni

Antoniadou resonate with me. “Socrates and Kant urged us to see

the connections between big ideas and big achievements, and

inspired generations to become more imaginative and daring while

respecting the greater diversity of individuals. The biggest

challenge for all of us today is to identify exactly who we are and

what we stand for and become our own filter inclined to

disenchant inequalities.” I have every confidence that as we work

together – home and school – all students who attend St George

College will dream big and will achieve their best. Don’t hesitate to

contact me directly on gkadis@sgc.sa.edu.au if you have any

queries or if you want to pop in for a coffee and chat ring Emily

Giles on 8159 8100 to make a longer appointment. I am also on the

Junior Campus every day from 8.00 am to 8.45am.

MESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Mr Peter Karamoshos

A focus on Academic Excellence

Welcome back to the 2017 school year. In addition to celebrating

the joy of Christmas, I hope all students and families took time over

the break to enjoy each other’s company and to also find time to

relax. My wife and I had the good fortune to visit family in Sydney.

We had terrific fun reuniting with nieces and nephews and enjoyed

taking long walks along their incredible beaches. Sydney is a great

place to visit but we were very happy to come home to a more

calm and secure environment.

I trust we all return to the new school year with renewed

enthusiasm and a determination to achieve to the very best of our

ability. In 2016, we had a focus on providing the best possible

learning experience for our students and this commitment

continues in 2017. In addition, we will be looking at strategies to

maximise student academic achievement this year.

We have stressed to our students that we are promoting high

expectations at all times through:

promoting a culture where students are dragging others up

rather than dragging others down

increased rigour in the classroom

stressing that poor behaviour is not tolerated

ensuring students are fully engaged during lessons

mobile phones must be placed into a container at the front

of the class at the start of each lesson

students should not leave class except for exceptional

circumstances

lessons are structured to maximise all time available

We will also look to maximise student academic achievement by

assessment data being used for intervention and to modify

practice; specifically:

students setting academic goals and these goals being

regularly reviewed

using data to determine areas of strength and weakness

using data to measure student academic growth

ensuring students are made aware of the data

ensuring students are able to assess and grade their own

work

Finally, we will aim to maximise student academic achievement by

providing regular formal and informal feedback which is

constructive and unbiased. Strategies will include:

teachers giving regular feedback to students regarding

strategies on how to improve

teachers providing scaffolding for assignments and tasks in

terms of content and timelines

regular interviews with Heads of House and Head of School

to monitor academic progress and to give advice

informing parents regularly of student progress

informing parents immediately of any issues regarding

student progress

giving parents clarity on how they can play a role in the

academic development of their child

teachers setting aside time to provide one-to-one feedback

to students

To reinforce our culture of learning and to provide additional

opportunities for students to be supported in their learning, the

library on the Senior Campus will remain open until 5:00pm. We

encourage students to take this opening to seek advice in

completing homework and assignments, and in preparation for

tests and examinations.

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continued from page 2

All our staff are committed to maximising the potential of

each of our students and we look forward to working closely

with our parents in this regard. We look forward to an

enjoyable and successful year.

MESSAGE FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Miss Stephanie Kosmetos

The 2017 school year began with a buzz of excitement as we

welcomed all students and families on the first day in the Junior

Campus hall with almost 80 parents joining us for morning Prayer.

A special welcome to the 22 new students and their families in

Playgroup – Year 4 who have joined the St George Community for

the first time. One of the pleasures of working in a school is the

arrival of new faces and all our new families were welcomed across

all year levels.

It was wonderful to observe the way in which the existing students

embraced their new friends and helped them settle quickly into

their new learning environment.

All teaching staff worked their magic creating a stimulating learning

environment for their students to immerse themselves in inviting

and stimulating environments. Staff were busily preparing for the

start of term over the holidays and have ensured that their

students have settled in comfortably to the commencement of the

new year. The dedication and professionalism of our staff has

never been doubted and has been further evidenced by their

willingness to give up some of their holiday break to come in and

work in their classrooms.

As parents and community supporting the children’s education we

hope that you can support us at home by encouraging grace and

courtesy, reading programs and newsletters and build on the

curriculum in which the children engage in while in our care.

At all times we welcome parent ideas, assistance and personal

thoughts. If you would like to support in the classrooms and your

child at any time, please speak to staff. A child-related screening

check is mandatory before you can volunteer support in the

school. This can be obtained online by the DCSI Screening Unit at

www.dcsiscreening.com.gov.au . A copy of your Clearance must be

kept on file at the school.

LAP Volunteers needed!

The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) has continued to be a vital

part of the Learning Support Program in our school, thanks to the

support of parent volunteers working with students in need. It is a

very rewarding experience to be a LAP volunteer and parents who

are involved in the program as ‘tutors’ speak of the joy and

satisfaction it brings to establish a special rapport with the children

they work with. This significant individual time creates more

opportunities for students to experience success. The volunteer

becomes for the student a friend and mentor who can participate

and share in the challenge and excitement of a student’s learning

in a variety of ways from, writing, reading together, talking and

listening or organising homework. All activities and individual

programs are planned in consultation with Mrs Lynley Davies

(Learning Support Teacher) and in achieving success. Volunteers

have the time and opportunity to communicate a sense of value,

friendship and personal worth to help their student. If you are

interested in becoming a LAP volunteer for a couple of regular

sessions each week, please speak to Mrs Davies.

A Selfless Act of Kindness

Poppy Mihalopoulos in Year 3K has been growing her hair for 2

years in memory of her godmother’s sister who passed away at the

age of 17 from leukaemia after battling the illness for 5 years.

In the school holidays, Poppy had her long 30cm plait cut off at the

children’s salon for free after hearing of Poppy’s great cause to

donate her hair to make a wig and help other children battling with

childhood diseases. What an amazing young girl with a heart of

gold!

Poppy’s inspiration and kindness is an example to all of us. She

makes us proud!

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Welcome to the first Careers Newsletter article for the year. I am looking forward to working in partnership with students and parents to explore different career and study options. The careers section in the newsletter is a valuable resource for career information, courses available and key dates for Careers Information Days, University Open Days and important dates for applying for courses and Scholarships for Year 10 to 12 students.

I am the new Careers Coordinator at the College. As a school community we would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Ruby Gates for her work and dedication with students in Careers and Counselling with St George College over the years.

The Careers Centre has been relocated to the Wellbeing Centre (opposite the uniform shop)

All students from Years 10 to 12 are able to access career counselling either by emailing mrodas@sgc.sa.edu.au or calling in to the Careers Centre to set up a meeting time.

At St George College we have a dedicated Career Centre including the VET Coordinator and Head of House staff who are committed to the support of students in their personal career development journey. This function is an integral part of the pastoral care and support of students in preparation for life, learning and careers beyond the College.

As a part of their Career development Year 10 students will complete a mycareermatch profile which gives them feedback on their personality styles, associated strengths and weaknesses and potential career suggestions. This is followed up by some career research and guest speakers from the tertiary sector within the Personal Learning Plan which is embedded into the Year 10 curriculum.

Parents will be asked to attend and support the counselling of their child in their subject selections (for Years 10 and 11) and tertiary/ work applications and transitions (for Year 12).

In Term 2 the College will host a Career Fair which will be attended by a broad range of participants representing relevant industry, training and tertiary providers. In addition the College plans to invite back a number of old scholars who are currently working and studying to chat informally about their experiences.

Old scholars interested in participating can call reception on 8159 8100 and leave their details with Polyxeni Levendis or email me (mrodas@sgc.sa.edu.au). We would love to hear from you.

Throughout the year there will be a number of opportunities for interested students to visit various tertiary and industry based events that can further assist in future career decision making.

UMAT 2017

UMAT is a test that is used specifically to assist with the selection of students into the medicine, dentistry and health science degree programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed on the website. Registrations for UMAT 2017 are now open and close 5:00pm (AEST) 2 June, 2017.

The test takes place nationally on the 26 July, 2017.

http://umat.acer.edu.au/

A meeting will be held for all Year 11 and 12 students interested this Thursday 16 February at 12:30pm in the Careers Centre.

Helpful Resources

VET As of 2017 I have taken up the roll of VET Advisor at the College. My roll is to primarily aid and guide students who wish to partake in Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VET in Schools), programs undertaken by school students as part of the senior secondary certificate that provide credit towards a nationally recognised VET qualification within the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Currently we have three students undertaking VET courses this year, ranging from Construction and Carpentry to Childcare.

Throughout the year I will be working closely with Mr Michael Rodas, (careers) to deliver guidance, support and education to our Students.

We will be conducting a “ Careers Week”, where we will be inviting Industry Professionals to present to our students.

We invite any Parent, Old Scholar or friend of the College to register their interest in participating in this Event!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at dtaliangis@sgc.sa.edu.au.

with Mr Rodas and Mrs Taliangis

myfuture

Provides extensive information to help with career research and planning including video clips, career information and career planning tools.

http://www.qilt.edu.au

Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching (QILT) website uses feedback from thousands of students about their experiences studying higher education in Australia.

My Skills Offers a nation-wide search of vocational training and appropriate organisations, as well as detailed statistics and analysis.

South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC)

Provides information on courses and how to apply to the Universities and institutes of TAFE in South Australia. Also provides information on the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT).

Job Outlook Provides careers and industry information to help decide future career direction. Encompasses around 350 individual occupations.

http://www.mycareermatch.com.au/

Online career assessment tool matching student strengths & personality with careers that best suit. NB: All year 10 students complete an assessment within their PLP curriculum.

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Cinema Under the Stars

Special Event

ΔΙΑΛΕΞΗ: «ΓΛΩΣΣΑ ΜΙΛΩ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ»

ΚΥΡΙΑΚΗ 19 ΦΕΒΡΟΥΑΡΙΟΥ 2017, στις 4:00 μ.μ. στην αίθουσα εκδηλώσεων του Κολλεγίου του «Αγίου Γεωργίου». Ο καθηγητής

Κωνσταντίνος Γκρους θα μιλήσει για τα «μυστικά» της γλώσσας μας και άλλα πολλά, μέχρι και γκάφες που έχει πάθει ο ίδιος… Ξέρετε ότι οι Άγγλοι χρησιμοποιούν πάνω από 50.000 ελληνικές λέξεις (ακόμα

και λέξεις που χρησιμοποιούσαν οι αρχαίοι Έλληνες);

Ελάτε να γελάσουμε και να μάθουμε πολλά μαζί!

Lecture: “I SPEAK GREEK”

On Sunday, 19th of February 2017, at 4:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts and Sports Centre of Saint George College. Professor Konstantinos

Grous will talk about the “secrets” of Greek language and many more. Prof. Grous will even reveal some of his own linguistic gaffes…Do you know that the English language has more than 50,000 Greek words

(even ancient Greek words)?

You are welcome to join us, laugh and learn a lot together!