NEWS
We are pleased to inform our Marymede Community that Gabriella Agosta (Marcellin) and Ebadat Dhillon (McAuley) have been announced as our 2018 College Captains!
We would like to congratulate Gabriella and Ebadat on this achievement and also acknowledge our unsuccessful candidates on their applications.
On Tuesday 19th September Year 11 and 12 students met John Maher, a Ballarat father who for the last 20 years has been travelling around the country sharing his family’s tragic story of loss involving motor vehicles, to ‘drive home’ the message of dangerous driving.
Each time we get behind the wheel of a car we are facing risks. The risks are particularly elevated among teenage drivers due to inexperience, fatigue, distraction, excess speed, and drink driving. All of these risks can lead to life threatening and deadly motor vehicle accidents.
His one hour seminar moved many of us to tears as we heard the tragic story of the loss of his 18 year old daughter, Carmen, who died at the wheel of her car only 5km’s from their home. Carmen fell asleep at the wheel. “We can’t give her a cuddle. We can’t tell her we love her,” said John as he reminded our students that they are the most important people in the lives of the people around them. He expressed that a car crash is a life changer for everyone and a parents loss of their child is almost impossible to live with. His message was clear, “Make good decisions as road users and be aware of the dangers of fatigue”.
For more information about John Maher and his presentation, follow this link: https://motivationalspeakeraus.com.au/home
Congratulations to Year 11 student and aspiring filmmaker Damon Rudge, whose short film 'Afraid of everything. Did it anyway.' has been selected for the ReelOzInd Australia Indonesia Film Festival in the Youth Filmmaker category!
Damon's film was created for a Media assignment and will receive its world premiere on September 27 at ACMI in Melbourne and Yogyakarta in Indonesia. The film festival offers a platform for Australians and Indonesians to come together and share their stories through the compelling and creative medium of short film.
Marymede sat with Damon to learn a little more about his passion for filmmaking and the film's influences.
Damon, how long have you been interested in filmmaking?
I have been interested in filmmaking when I first used iMovie back in 2006. My Dad brought home the latest iMac and I have been hooked ever since. I remember making many videos on the program and presented them to my parents, grandparents almost weekly. Although they weren’t very complicated they contributed to my love and passion in making films. Due to me being bored a lot, I would also go through the menus on DVD’s and explore the behind the scenes on how the film was created, I believe that creativity behind making films is very unique and fun, and is one of the main reasons to why I still enjoy making films to this day.
What inspired you to make this film?
I was inspired by “Alice in Wonderland”, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” as well as “Arrival”. The quirky and mysterious world by Lewis Carroll was very influential, which I have been interested in for as long as I can remember, I was also influenced by the mystery of space and the unknown. I had slight inspiration by the film “Arrival” which influenced the subtle non-linear style that the film is in, although the film is highly subjective to the viewer.
In your opinion, which is the most difficult part of the filmmaking process?
The most difficult part of the filmmaking process, in my opinion, would be the production stage. I believe that writing script, drawing the storyboard and even editing all the footage requires a lot of effort. But if you don’t have the right footage to edit, or if your ideas from Pre-production haven’t been shown on your footage, the film will be a disaster. Most if not all stages of filming are quite flexible, which makes the filming process quite difficult, as it will literally influence how the film will look as a final product.
What are your three favourite films?
Can I say the Back to the future trilogy? They all just have such a wonderful character which differs to most films. I always find myself attached to the characters and the story is delivered in such a unique way, I don’t know why or how that is, but it’s beautiful.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?
My advice for aspiring filmmakers would be to just give it a go, nothing you create will be bad. It might not look professional to begin with, it just comes in practise. Experiment with different angles, lighting techniques and maybe something that is unconventional and different to anything anyone has seen. I also strongly believe that story will make everything, the good story is what sets a good film apart from a terrible one. But if there could only be one piece of advice to give anyone, just put your creations out there, you never know how far you could make it if you don’t give it a go.
You can watch Damon's complete film at ACMI's Australian Mediatheque, where it will be exhibited during the school holidays from September 28 until October 4.
Marymede wishes to advise of the following important information regrading a change in traffic conditions as a result of ongoing works on the Marymede Station/Mernda Rail Extension Project:
In this edition of 'Meet the Teacher' we speak with Ms. Robin Panousieris, a member of our Secondary Teaching Team and Technology Domain Coordinator.
Name: Robin Panousieris – Secondary Teacher – robin.panousieris@marymede.vic.edu.au
What is your role at the College?
I am a Year 6 to VCE 'Product Design and Technology: Wood' teacher. I know how fortunate I am to be teaching at Marymede Catholic College because few teachers statewide could boast that they have the opportunity to teach from Year 6 through to Year 12. I am the Technology Coordinator and oversee Digital Technology, Food Technology, Design and Technologies: Wood and Textiles which is a diverse range of subjects that are all linked by the fact that the design process is used. This encourages students to be creative and problem solve.
Tell us about an interesting project or topic that you are currently working on with one of your classes?
The Year 10 Design and Technologies: Wood class are making a small piece of furniture. The range of ideas is impressive as one student is making a blanket chest, another a small set of drawers. Then there is a TV Unit but not to forget a well-designed shelving unit that is a box within a box the list goes on. I never know what design ideas the students will come up with hence teaching in this area is always challenging because no two students make the same product.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
I left teaching for 3 years to become an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Consultant and I realized how boring any other job is compared to teaching. Students make me laugh and sometimes their jokes are better than mine! Every year I am impressed by the quality of many of the products they make. When the standard is set high at least one student will achieve the impossible, last year it was Tinotenda Mubayiwa who was the first Marymede Catholic College student to exhibit in Top Designs. He is now completing a Bachelor of Design at Swinburne University.
Fast Five:
Favourite Food: Anything someone else cooks - as I can't cook very well!
Favourite Movie/TV Show: ‘Baby Driver” at the moment because the music and car chases are great.
Hidden Talent or Something We May Not Know About You: I was a lecturer in charge of furniture design at the University of Melbourne for 4 years. It was the first time that a woman held that position at a Tertiary level.
Favourite Sporting Team: Australian Test Cricket Team because they show the depth of skill needed to play Cricket for 5 days.
If You Could Pick Any 3 People as Dinner Guests, Who Would They Be and Why?:
Edith Lyons - The first woman elected into the House of Representatives and she had 12 children which shows that women can do it all;
Brian Cox (Musician and Physicist) - He makes sense of the world from snowflakes to galaxies and he was in 1980s band that had a top hit “Things Can Only Get Better”;
Tetsuya Wakuda - One of Australia’s best chefs who isn’t afraid to experiment and think differently to other chefs.
Recently, as part of our VCAL team's 'Personal Development Skills' coursework, students were required to plan and organise the completion project which encompassed their goal to build community partnerships.
Over the past few years Marymede Catholic College has formed a strong partnership with our neighers at the Arilla Retirement Village and in 2017, the VCAL students not only arranged and project managed an afternoon tea for these residents, but also thought it would be a good idea visit the Retirement Village and spend some time with residents discussing Technology. Research tells us that more and more Australians over the age of 60 are turning to Technology and our students felt it would be a great opportunity to help the residents of Arilla learn a little more about the use and capabilities of different types of Technology.
Student reflections proved it to be a valuable and worthwhile exercise.
"The experience was amazing, I loved working with such knowledgeable older people. I learned from them but they also learned from me”.
“It was a very different learning experience. It was something out of the norm as we don’t usually get to interact with older people. It made me really happy seeing how happy they were and their reactions when we were teaching them about Technology. I got a better understanding of the older generation as I took it for granted that everyone knew how to use technology”.
“It was lovely to see two different generations working together and the connection we had despite not knowing each other. It was a really valuable experience”.
'Where Are They Now?' gives the Marymede Community an opportunity to catch up with and meet members of the Marymede Alumni - past graduates who have since commenced new journeys and adventures outside of Marymede Catholic College.
Name: George Baini – Class of 2015 - www.gb.com.au
What year did you graduate from Marymede Catholic College and tell us a little bit about your journey after Secondary School?
I completed my VCE in 2015. In January 2015, and during my final year at Marymede, I registered and commenced operating my own company ‘The George Baini Group’, which is growing and operating successfully today. My company specialises mainly in Business Internet, IP Telephony, 4G Voice and Mobile Broadband, Private Networks and Cloud Solutions. I have been self-employed since and love what I do.
What will you remember most about your time at Marymede Catholic College?
It was amazing to see how well students across year levels, and staff came together as a close community. Also, most importantly how well everyone had a mutual respect for others. The rapid growth of the college and all the building extensions was also exciting.
What advice would you give to current students at the College?
School is a major time of transition. You might feel overwhelmed but these are growing experiences that will probably be most valuable to you later throughout your life. Always listen and pay attention, ask your questions, even if you think they may be pointless, and remember knowledge is valuable in the future, and you can never get enough of it.
Fast Five:
Favourite Food: Anything Japanese mainly Sushi
Favourite Movie/TV Show: Highway Patrol
Hobbies or Something We May Not Know About You: From a young age, I have been building computers and applications, and still do. But the truth is that I don’t really like computers and turn them off as soon as I can.
Favourite Sporting Team: I am a Hawks supporter, but must admit that family obligations have lured me also towards supporting the Magpies!
If You Could Pick Any 3 People as Dinner Guests, Who Would They Be and Why?:
Eddie Murphy: For the laughs;
Bill Gates: He has inspired me ever since I was a child to never give up;
Larry Page: Co-founder of Google, one of the most revolutionary companies in human history.
Year 11 student Daniel Nicolo featured in Leader News online this week discussing his views on how to improve public transport in the outer north!
Daniel showed some great initiative in writing to Leader News outlining some ideas for new bus routes in the Whittlesea area.
You can read the full article here: http://bit.ly/2gN6Rz5
Article Courtesy of: Paul Shapiro at Leader Newspaper
Congratulations to Daniel Preziuso (Year 10), Daniel Nicolo (Year 11) and Sophie Temelkovska (Year 11), all of whom were recently nominated as finalists in the RMIT Urban Futures Competition.
Students were required to submit a 300 word response and image based on how they would help urban environments adapt to meet the future needs of our population.
These students were 3 of only 20 selected and are now invited to attend a celebratory evening on September 20 at RMIT University at which they will find out whether or not have have placed in the Top 5 for the Competition.
Outstanding achievement.
Please find via the links below, important information from College Principal Mr. Michael Kenny regarding School Fees and levies in 2018 along with our recently released 2018 Fee Structure: