COLLEGE LEADER PROFILES

College Leader Lucas Pacicca

As a leader I would describe myself as bold, strong, and able to adapt.

I am the proudest of my work ethic because I have found a good balance between work, school, my social life, and other commitments.

My favourite TV program is The Last Dance.

My greatest sporting moment was when I scored a buzzer-beater crossing up two people then stepping back, winning the game 21 to 19 because I scored a 3 when we were tied!

My favourite song is Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees.

The funniest moment in my life was when my bike pedal fell off and I had to ride home with one pedal!

In my spare time I like to play soccer, watch movies, and drive.

To be a Lasallian Leader means I get to make a positive impact on the St Michaels College community.

This year as a College Leader I wish to be best known as the one that likes to have fun!

Five words which best describe my personality are funny, smart, strong, outgoing, and persistent.

A quote that I believe in is “hard work beats talent, when talent fails to work hard”.

La Salle House Captain Michael Moschou

As a leader I would describe myself as confident and easy to communicate with.                                        

I am the proudest of my sporting achievements because of the hard work and dedication I put into them.

My greatest sporting moment is placing 6^th and 7^th in Australia for the 200m and 400m sprint last year in my age group.

My favourite song is Chosen 1 by Polo G.                                               

The best thing about attending SMC is the loving and inviting community and the endless opportunities provided.

One chore I don’t like doing is washing the dishes.

Leadership means to me to support and encourage others to strive towards goals and become the best they can be.

I have a pet dog whose name is Souvlaki.

To be a Lasallian Leader means to be resilient and graceful and to follow the College’s motto of ‘be the best you can be’.

A person I most admire is my dad as he is a hardworking man, yet still finds time to watch and support me in athletics.

A quote that I believe in is “only losers are making excuses, winners are making history”.

IMMERSION UPDATE FROM VIETNAM

Prior to COVID-19, I was fortunate to travel to Vietnam and Cambodia to visit our brother/sister schools. I did this in the company of Mr John Lambert, our then Deputy Principal, and an old scholar/tour guide from St Bede’s College, David Eales. We were really impressed by what we saw and were welcomed into both the countries and schools by our Lasallian Brothers, Joseph and Domenic.

We are not sure when this Immersion Trip/Tour may be possible, but we were only a couple of weeks from launching a 10-14 day Immersion Program to visit these countries. Below are a few of the links that the brothers sent to me, along with some of the videos from their schools. What is amazing worldwide is that the R to 12 schools are built and run very much the same from country to country. The exception is the schools in Asia provide all students with recess and lunch due to living in extreme poverty.

The experience of being able to travel to one of these schools and work with the students and staff aligns so well with our Mission and Vision – ‘St Michael’s College is a Catholic school in the Lasallian tradition, which is a community to the human and Christian education of the young, especially the poor’. We can also see that where the schools are located are in the poorest regions of these countries, and the schools themselves are mirror images of one another in each country. They all have a Junior School, Middle School, Senior School, Brothers Residence, and visitor lodgings.

I hope you enjoy connecting with the images and videos below. With some luck,  we are hopeful of reconnecting and visiting these schools, students, staff, and Lasallian Brothers in the near future.

Recently the Lasallian Foundation has reformed, and a range of funds raised will be distributed to these regions.

Links below:

Click here for photos.
Click here for videos of students competing in an English Speaking Contest.
Click here to follow the school’s activities on Facebook.

Mr Matthew Williams, Deputy Principal – Pastoral

YEAR 7 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY – LEATHER CLUTCHES

Year 7 Design and Technology students were challenged to design and create a leather clutch with a unique stamped pattern. Using the design process students first researched how leather is processed from a raw hide into the supple yet strong material we use for furniture, bags, and shoes. Students then found pictures of clutches to inspire their ideas and created paper protypes to clarify their designs.

Using leather stamps and punches, students created unique and complex patterns, chose their stain and thread colour, and finally added a press snap. Students practiced their project management skills to balance the time to complete the practical and a design folio which reflected on the process.

“I enjoyed this project very much. I enjoyed the dying process, the sewing, and the planning. I enjoyed dying the most as it went really blotchy but I liked watching it when I put the final coat on and it spread the colour out again.” – Poppy Allen.

“My favourite part was when we were putting the needle and thread through to hold it together.” – Bianca Barbaro

“I liked this project because I enjoy making my own things and designing.” – Lara Formato

Ms Tess Morcom, Design and Technology Teacher – Secondary

CHARACTER STRENGTHS CHALLENGE

Year 9 pastoral classes were recently given the challenge to create a poster/display on the strengths that are associated with their class and to include a theme. Well done to 9BPC-05 and 9GPC-01 for winning the challenge and thank you to all classes for creating amazing displays of their strengths.

“Theme: We Are All Stars

The term “space art” refers to an artistic expression that aims to represent that we are all unique. It produces effective imagery, messages, and meanings. One of our main messages is we are all stars in different ways.

Space can be positive or negative, open or closed, shallow or deep, and two-dimensional or three-dimensional, just like humans are unique in their own way. We thoroughly believe that everyone in our class is special in their own way which is why we have chosen to all have our own star in which we can express ourselves. On these different stars we wrote a special fact about ourselves and why we believe we are all distinct from one another. Artists use the term positive space to refer to the subject of the piece itself, the stars and the planet. Negative space refers to the empty spaces the artist has created around, between, and within the subjects. This includes the gaps between the stars meaning we are different but have a close relationship at the same time. You will observe that the planet is not circular, the meaning behind this is everyone thinks the Earth is sphere, but in fact, it slightly has an oval shape. This expresses that everything is not as it seems.” – Victor Cavuoto and Ethan Napoli (9BPC-03)

“Theme: Under the Sea

Our character strengths are Love, Humour, Kindness, Teamwork and Honesty. As a class, we all believe these strengths are the strongest. Even though there are many other strengths that aren’t included on this wall it doesn’t mean we don’t have them, they are all important, and we should all pay greater attention to them since they don’t come naturally to us.

The sand represents the foundation that these character strengths are based on. These character strengths are depicted in water which is able to move and flow freely like how the world is constantly changing around us. Each day our strengths change, some days we have stronger strengths than others which is also like the water how it is always changing. The schools of fish symbolise teamwork and how working together results in a more positive environment. We have 20 pink and purple fish, and each fish represents one individual in 9GPC-1. During this time with COVID, everyone needs to work together and show teamwork however it isn’t just teamwork we should utilise, we should use all our strengths in order to help each other get through this testing time.

The shark and the octopus telling a joke shows humour as well as diversity seen as having a good laugh can bring people closer together, despite their differences. The seahorses on this wall represent love as they care and nurture each other on their journey of growth. Honesty is shown through the giant clam. It symbolises the act of opening up to people and showing your true self. One of St John Baptist De La Salle’s famous teachings was to take care of the last, the lost and the least and this kindness is represented through the school of clownfish taking care of the one fish which is different to all of them, and who is also swimming the wrong way. The coral is beautiful and precious in the ocean and if we don’t care for it there are consequences of it being destroyed, also like our relationships and ourselves. We all need to care for ourselves as well as others.

All the fish are different; like everyone in this PC class, we all have different qualities and personality traits that make us unique. As a class, each individual is known, valued, and cared for and we are all represented in one way or another on this wall.” – 9GPC-01

YEAR 7 GOODFELLAS PROGRAM

On Friday, Week 4, the Year 7 boys were treated to a presentation by Jack Ellis through the ‘Goodfellas’ Program.

Jack’s story is one of hard work, resilience, and ‘de-bunking’ male-associated myths. The students were very receptive to Jack, with 98% of the Year 7 boys agreeing that the talk was either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ and 100% of students saying they would recommend the presentation!

This is what some of the students had to say about the day:

“Today was excellent and my favourite part was listening to Jack’s life stories and learning more about life! I learned that it’s ok for boys to cry and not hide their feelings and it’s never ok to take part in violence. Today was excellent.” – Aaron

“I expected today to be awkward, but I thought it was actually excellent! I really liked that Jack inspired us to follow our dreams. We learned it doesn’t matter what other people think of you, but to not let people’s impressions of teens shape us. Violence is never the answer.” – Alex

“I really didn’t know what to expect. But I really liked the presentation especially the slides and Jack’s stories. I learned that it’s not ok to judge people on how they look. We are not all troublemakers.” – Lucas

“I didn’t know what to expect today to be like, but I thought the presentation was excellent! My favourite part was listening to Jack’s life story. He taught us to be kind and respectful of others and to not be afraid to grow up. I want more people to know that having tech knowledge isn’t a bad thing.” – Robbie

Mr Tom Simpson, Acting Year 7 Assistant Director

YEAR 12 BLACK DOG INSTITUTE PRESENTATION

On Wednesday morning, all Year 12 students participated in the online ‘Insight’ presentation run by the Black Dog Institute. Guest speaker Rosie Dale told her personal story, discussing her battle with poor mental health, anxiety and anorexia during her time in high school and the ways in which she overcame these issues.

Black Dog Institute help lead change in breaking down the stigma attached to mental illness, with mental ‘fitness’ and resilience at the forefront of their mission and vision. Their motto –  Science. Compassion. Action.

1 in 5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year. In Australia, that’s around 5 million people. Roughly 60% of these people won’t seek help.

Rosie’s focus expanded to address new challenges and opportunities in mental health – suicide prevention, digital innovation, lived experience and youth and workplace wellbeing. Her discussion around mood disorders provided new and improved ways to treat and prevent conditions like anxiety and depression through conversation, digital tools and other innovative treatments. Rosie’s message also highlighted the difference between ‘normal’ levels of stress or sadness and clinical anxiety and depression. Of course, she reiterated that the earlier we seek support when required, the better.

It was clear that Rosie’s story deeply moved the Year 12 cohort and she undoubtedly provided the group with various tools for those most at risk of being impacted by poor mental health.

Mr Mark Labrosciano, Year 12 Director

YEARS 7-9 LEARNING AND WELLBEING CHARACTER STRENGTH FOCUS

Week 5: Fairness

I wonder how many of us could estimate the number of times they’ve heard holding the ball (or just ball!) at the footy. Or how many times we’ve heard our children respond loudly, that’s not fair! when they feel wronged. Fairness. We seek it in all aspects of our lives.

As we remember National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the strength of fairness. Is there ever not an ideal time, in reality?

In the past when I have taught about the events associated with the terrible injustices dealt to our Indigenous community, I have often reflected on my own feelings and tried to put myself in another person’s shoes in order to communicate this important topic. As I taught Rabbit Proof Fence, and discussed traumatic history that surrounds the Stolen Generation, I tried to imagine what it would have felt like to have had someone in authority enter my home and take my children away. The picture in my mind creates incredible angst, and what’s more chilling, is that this is only the absolute tip of the iceberg in terms of the reality of the pain and loss such an event would cause. As a parent, I cannot imagine that pain, nor ever recovering from it.

Disability and ageing are also areas that require focus on fairness. Can all people access their entitlements and opportunities as members of our community, and how can we, support and promote that better, together?

Fairness, as a character strength, is really about what is morally right. It involves us being compassionate and sensitive to social injustice issues; it sees us caring for others in being responsible members of the community. It helps us to be trustworthy friends and people who live and stand for moral values.

The Lasallian values we share seek to nurture an awareness of the poor and victims of injustice and contribute to a proactive response to their needs through education and community service. As a community, we work towards stronger fairness. At school we remind students that we are all a part of a community where each person is known, valued and cared for where each of us is empowered to explore their curiosities, and positioned to choose to be the leaders we become.

In aspiring to be fair we also remind ourselves that it’s about being fair in our interactions in all of the different settings in which we move; being fair and respectful in the classroom, in the yard, on the sports field and at home.

This week at Year 8 Mass, Fr Paul spoke about the destructive influence of prejudice and the need to see the goodness that lies below the surface in each other, first and foremost, so as to be united by what we share, rather than be divided by the differences we might perceive. Reconciliation.

Last week and this week, Year 7s continued in their workshops with Enlighten Education, intended to also develop a focus on fairness and kindness at the foundation of positive relationships. Many classrooms speak often about fairness in the course of daily school life. In my English class we participated in a Socratic Seminar this week.  Socrates, the early Greek philosopher/teacher, believed that this practice of thoughtful questioning allowed his students to consider ideas logically to determine their validity. The idea isn’t to have a debate or dominate the conversation, but to enhance understanding of all participants about what the author is trying to communicate in the text, in this case. The conversation relies on fair and respectful contributions and active listening. It encourages us to think about how we interact with each other, to be respectful of divergent points of view and to seek to build balanced dialogue constructively on them. While we couldn’t gather under the shade of plane trees in a courtyard in Greece, we were out of the wind and rain, and the students did their best to work to these ideals, doing a great job!

Our commitment to harnessing student voice in a range of leadership forums is also a powerful vehicle for positive change and contributes to fairness. Year 9 Leaders attended the YLead workshop this week. The Eco Squad is a great example of students and staff safeguarding the Earth in fairness. Our Lasallian Youth Leaders, House Captains and Student Leaders also respond to this call in their areas of involvement.

In daily life, as a community, acknowledging each other in greetings and listening to each other respectfully and communicating kindly is also a great beginning point, wherever we are! Together, we can make a difference. Be Brave, Make a Change. National Reconciliation Week 2022.

Have a wonderful weekend ahead!

Mrs Tonia Carfora, Year 7-9 Wellbeing Initiatives Leader

YEAR 11 MFS – ROAD AWARENESS PROGRAM

On Wednesday morning, the Metropolitan Fire Service’s Road Awareness Program (RAP) was presented to our Year 11 cohort. We were also delighted to host the Minster for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services and Member for Cheltenham, Joe Szakacs, who is an old scholar of the College. The presentation is a hard-hitting road safety session designed specifically for Year 11 students. It is delivered to young drivers across South Australia and aims to provide an insight into the experience of firefighters working in road crash rescue. RAP seeks to actively engage and empower all road users, including drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians, while communicating their core message: “You get to choose the risk; but you don’t get to choose the consequences!”

Our students were given a confronting insight into road crash trauma, including vision of actual crashes and crash survivors. Daniel Woolley shared his emotional story, detailing the physical and mental difficulties he has experienced since his involvement in a car accident, where a car failed to give way at a stop sign.

“On Wednesday, the 1^st of July, the year 11 students were privileged to be spoken to by representatives of the Metropolitan Fire Service and a survivor of a real-life road crash survivor, Daniel Woolley, who now lives with a traumatic brain injury. The presentation allowed us to become educated with some important facts and tips that we can apply to their own lives, and additionally use this to further educate the people around us to hopefully evolve from risk-takers to responsible road users. The presentation actively engaged and empowered students to draw inspiration from the talk, providing us with a broader understanding of how our choices impact others and how we can support each other to make better decisions as road users.” – Stephanie Musci (11PC-08)

It is clear that the Year 11 students gained an understanding of the consequences of their choices on the road.

Ms Anna Porcelli, Year 11 Director

YEAR 10 AND 11 STUDENTS: NEW SACE SUBJECT

Year 10 and 11 students have an opportunity to participate in the pilot of a new SACE subject: Cyber Studies.

The pilot will consist of a 10-credit, Stage 1 course in Cyber Studies. Participating students should expect 60 hours of course time, which will be delivered online through the Microsoft Teams platform. Students will engage with recorded lecture content and participate in online tutorials and discussion boards.

The pilot course will span 18 weeks and be delivered in Semester 2, 2022.

Lectures will be published on Mondays for students to view asynchronously

Tutorials run from 5:30-6:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays; students are strongly encouraged to participate, and attendance will be monitored, but recordings will be available.

The subject engages students with a wide range of up-to-date cyber issues, including:

• data security
• corporate risk management
• quantum computing
• the ethics of social media

If you would like to be considered for this course, please visit Student Services during Recess or Lunchtime to request a subject change appointment with Mr O’Reilly.

NB: Students involved in the 2021 pilot cannot participate in this opportunity.

Mr Gavin O’Reilly, Director of Curriculum & Assessment