Year 8 News – 22 May 2025

The Year 8 Space – from the desk of Mrs Kim Greenwell, Year Level Coordinator

We are celebrating in Year 8!

We have seen some amazing attitudes to learning, positive friendships and students presenting the best version of themselves at school. To start off, we have been working around ‘role models’ which ties into our learning in Religion Education studies where we are exploring responsibility with Paul and the Early Church. Unpacking of role models has led to conversations about who we form friendships with, who we look up to and who we aspire to be as a person in our community. At assembly, we shared the idea that role models don’t have to be adults, they can be anyone who shows compassion, kindness and empathy to others, even if they are just six years old! The big message was ‘we can all be a role model; we can all make a difference’.

In Year 8 we have started to unpack the culture surrounding the term ‘snitch’. At assembly, we looked at the origin of the word, which came from the late 1700s, and how language is ever growing and changing. There were honest conversations that this word is unhelpful in difficult situations as it can deter or limit people wanting to report a problem and can deflect accountability of actions. Open discussions are being held reinforcing that help seeking is not poor behaviour. To identify when someone may need help and to take agency and care for self is incredibly brave and powerful. All our teachers are ready to reinforce the positive culture we always aspire to live by. This includes recognising and celebrating students who are building each other up, supporting their peers, showing their true strength in kindness, and demonstrating the values which Catherine McAuley exemplified.

Mr Josh Hann has been incredibly passionate and inspiring students to care for our environment. He has been busy brainstorming and has a few strategies up his sleeve to help the environment starting with our College. We found that when the reGEN leaders came to Coolock to do a Bin Audit over lunchtime, there were a significant amount of Year 8 students directly involved in correctly sorting and putting items in either rubbish, food waste or recycling. It is a work in progress but with the Year 8s already responding so well to the challenge, we hope that it will inspire everyone to take pride in our beautiful College.

We have celebrated learners who have shown incredible dedication to their studies. Well done to Pax Bolton, Mariebel Ghobrial, Ella Schubert, Isari Gamlath and Ruby Goggin who were presented with certificates in assembly by Mrs Marinè Snyman to recognise and reward their efforts. This was such a positive step towards remembering why we come to school – first a foremost we are learning not only through academics in every subject, but also who we are and setting goals of where we want to go next.

And to continue how our students are demonstrating kindness, Mrs Rachel Winfield has led the charge with a Year 8 cooking class being selected to volunteer their time and efforts in class to make meals for Bendigo Foodshare. The Foodshare Project has meant that people in need can have healthy, nutritious and delicious meals. Students made sixty-eight meals in a double period – a phenomenal effort! Well done to all students who have been involved in this project.

God Bless and stay warm!

Mrs Kim Greenwell, Mr Josh Hann and Mrs Marinè Snyman