Newsletter 1 - Maribyrnong Sports Academy @ Maribyrnong College

Maribyrnong College
N e w s l e t t e r
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Nick Scott - Principal
Welcome to 2010! A great deal of
development was undertaken during
the summer holidays and I’m sure
you will agree that the school looks
significantly different to December
last year. A new Year 7 precinct
was developed that includes form
rooms, outdoor locker structures,
play spaces and landscaping. Every
classroom was fitted out with either
plasma displays or data projectors
in readiness for the rollout of
the Department’s new Ultranet
curriculum system. New Junior
and Senior Year Level Coordinator
centres were constructed and a large
number of new coordinators have
been welcomed into these precincts.
I would like to introduce Joy Moore
and Dani Angelico as the new
Program Managers for each of these
subschools. A new, dedicated VCE
Study Centre was opened adjacent
to the Senior School Office and
students have been using this facility
to great effect during private study
sessions and before and after school.
Finally, we managed to paint a large
amount of the school internally and
externally including the old gym/
theatre complex and A block; and
Year 7 students have helped to
establish new garden beds in the
Year 7 Precinct and the old gym.
I would like to thank parents for
their terrific support of the new
uniform rules introduced for 2010.
Given the size of the school this year
(around 900 students), there have
been very few instances of uniform
non-compliance, and I’m sure you
will agree our students are looking
much better this year. As supportive
parents, your efforts have helped to
foster a spirit of pride and respect
for our school environment that I
am confident will assist students to
focus on their academic, sporting
and social development.
I would like to comment briefly on
the development of the Stage 1 gym
facility. It was very frustrating not to
have the complex open for the start
of the year, particularly when it is so
close to completion. For reasons well
beyond the control of the school;
and after significant delays during
December and January; we finally
have a building that is within weeks
of being ready for use. By the time
you read this, final line markings
on courts will be complete, all
internal and external painting will
be finished, ceilings and floors will
be installed, and many fixtures and
fittings will be in place. I hope that
the Term 1 holidays will provide
for the final “shakedown” of the
various systems, and that the school
can move its resources including
furniture and equipment in readiness
for occupancy as close as possible to
the start of Term 2. Fingers crossed!
My family and I will be taking a
3-week break starting in the Term
1 holidays, during which time Rob
Carroll will be acting as Principal.
Term 1 2010
I wish staff, students and parents an
enjoyable and relaxing break and
look forward to working with you all
in Term 2.
U P & C O M I N G E V E N T S
Parent Teacher Interviews
Tuesday 23rd March
1:30 pm - 7:00 pm
24th March- Yr 7 Summer Sport
Term 2
23rd April - School Cross Country
Monday 26th April
ANZAC Day Public Holiday
6th May - Senior district Winter Sport
10th May College Athletics Carnival
11th -15 May - NAPLAN testing Yr 7,9
20th May District Cross Country
25th May Intermediate Winter Sports
3rd June - Year 8 Winter Sports
3rd June - Yr 7 girls immunisation
8th - 10th June VCE Exam period
11th June - Pupil free day
14th June - Queens’ Bday Public Hol
15th June - Yr 7 Winter district Sport
15 - 18 June - Yr 10 Work Experience
21 - 25 June - Yr 10 Work Experience
Be Sure to check the website under
school calender for important dates
www.maribsc.vic.edu.au.
2 0 1 0 T E R M D A T E S
Term 1 27 Jan to 26 March
Term 2 12 April to 25 June
Term 3 12 July to 17 September
Term 4 4 October to 17 December
Page 1

JOTTINGS FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
To all students and their families we
welcome you to the 2010 school
year. Despite being a short term
much has already occurred and
much has been achieved. Students
have quickly familiarised themselves
with the changes in school structure.
The college now operates on a
Page 2
School Organisation
Year 10 Coordinators
Manny Cassiotis
Asimina Boyce
Senior School
Program Manager
Daniela Angelico
Year 11 Coordinator
Helene Refuerzo
Parent Evenings
Several parent evenings have taken
place in Term One. The VCE Parent
Information Evening was held on the
23rd February. This session helped
parents to better understand the
VCE and gave suggestions on how
best to support their child. The Year
10 Information Evening on March
3rd introduced parents to the senior
years of secondary education and
outlined the increasing demands
and expectations placed on Year 10
students. Feedback from parents
model of two sub-schools with a
team of teachers operating at each
sub-school. The number of Year Level
Coordinators has increased and
we have added Program Managers
at each sub-school. Ms Gardiner is
overseeing the Junior school and Ms
Raniti will be responsible for
Assistant Principal
Branka Raniti
Year 12 Coordinator
Mark Zahra
Parents, students and staff at the Year 7 BBQ
held in the new Year 7 precinct
Principal
Nick Scott
Year 7 Coordinators
Lillian Rossini
Amy Scattolin
on both evenings indicated that
the sessions were informative and
worthwhile.
A more relaxed and informal evening
was organised by the Parents and
Friends Association on the 4th March
for our Year 7 parents and students.
The BBQ was held in the new Year
7 precinct and was extremely well
attended. The evening gave new
parents the opportunity to meet
teachers and other families. A much
appreciated effort from the PFA
Assistant Principal
Wendy Gardiner
Ms Raniti and Ms Gardiner-
Assistant Principals
the senior school. Parents should
familiarise themselves with the
organisational structure outlined
below.
Junior School
Program Manager
Joy Moore
Year 8 Coordinators
Brooke Thompson
Maggie Roche
Year 9 Coordinator
Michael Hande
Yvonne Beyer
in welcoming new families to our
school community.
Finally, but most importantly, I hope
that all parents were able to attend
the Parent–Teacher interviews on
March 23rd. With an increasing
student population and in order to
reduce waiting time, we trialled an
appointment system. Your feedback
on how successful this was would be
much appreciated.
Some of our ladies
from the Parents & Friends Association

Uniform
Wearing the official school uniform
is compulsory for all students.
The College Uniform Brochure
provides full details of all uniform
requirements. All items on the
brochure have been approved by
the School Council. The uniform
brochure was posted home to all
families last year; however, if you
have misplaced your copy, another
one can be obtained from the
General Office or via the school
website www.maribsc.vic.edu in
Academic Program/Policies/Uniform.
We appreciate parent support
in this matter, particularly in the
matter of the correct school shoe.
All students are expected to wear
the appropriate school shoes as
described in the brochure. Families
Attendance; Lateness; Leaving School Early
Students are expected to maintain at
least a 90% attendance rate. Please
contact the Attendance Officer, Ms
Willis, if you know your child will be
away from school. Students arriving
late to school must get an electronic
pass from Ms Willis before being
School Captains
Towards the end of last year we
invited students in Year 11 to apply
for the position of School Captain.
There were four positions available –
two female and two male. There was
a great deal of interest expressed
with a number of students each
putting in a written application
which had to include at least 20
nominations from the student body.
New Staff in 2010
We welcome the following staff to Maribyrnong College
admitted to class. Any student who
is required to leave during the day
for medical or other serious reasons
must bring a signed note from their
parent and give this to Ms Willis. She
will generate an electronic ‘Early
Leavers Pass’ for the student.
Mr Scott, the School Principal, Ms
Raniti, the Assistant Principal and Ms
Cameron, the Year 11 Coordinator
interviewed all applicants. After
this rigorous process the selection
panel were confident that the four
candidates selected would be
outstanding role models for the
student body and would do their job
well in representing the school at
Daniela Angelico Drama/Music/SOSE, Program Mgr - Yrs 10-12
Kate Bramley Science/PE
Erin Carroll Spec.Sport:Tech Coach/PE
Laura Cassar Maths/Science
Peter Chamberlain English/SOSE , Curriculum Co-ordinator
Melek Dervish Maths/Science
Ryan Emmett Maths/PE
Mae-Lee Gibson VCD/Art
Clinton Hale Science/Biology
Michael Hande English Year 9 YLC
Eve Lamb English/SOSE
Komal Lata Chemistry/Maths
Shane McDonald Science/PE
Jennifer Plasztan Food Tech
Laura Todorov Maths/Science
who require support in this matter
should contact the school.
The school sport uniform can be
worn by the following year levels
for the whole day on the day that
students have SPORT (not to be
confused with PE) :
Year 7 Tuesday
Year 8 Monday;
Year 9 Thursday
Parents/Guardians who have come
to collect their child from the
General Office area are required to
sign – out their child.
A full explanation of the above
matters can be found on page 4 of
the Parent Information Book.
official functions.
Congratulations to the following
Year 12 students as the Maribyrnong
College School Captains for 2010:
April Rathgen, Eliza Smith, Bassel
Tallal and Simon Zappia.
School Captains from left to right
Eliza Smith, Bassel Tallal
Simon Zappia and April Rathgen
Page 3

SENIOR YEARS REPORT
Page 4
5 weekly progress reports for Senior Years Students
In addition to the end of term and
semester reports, all VCE students
will receive a progress report mid
term indicating whether they are
up-to-date and how well they are
progressing. These reports will
provide an excellent opportunity
for students to revisit their goals
and reassess whether they are
Year 12 News
Year 12 Study Camp
On the 10th and 11th of February all Year 12 students
attended a 2 day Study Camp at Melbourne University.
During the two days students were involved in a range of
workshops ranging from time and stress management;
effective reading strategies; health and wellbeing and
how to successfully prepare and achieve excellent results
in examinations. Students were given an orientation
of the university as well as a taste of living on campus
and were lodged at Ormond College, one of the many
beautiful and historic buildings. Since the camp we have
continued working with students in putting into practice
the skills and knowledge developed on camp. At the
start of every week all year 12’s are required to complete
a weekly homework and study plan. We encourage
parents to monitor these plans and assist their children
in implementing a revision plan.
Afterschool Tuition in English
allowing enough time in the week
to complete homework and the
required revision to successfully
prepare for examinations. A contact
email address is provided for every
subject teacher on the report and
parents are encouraged to make
contact with individual teachers if
they have any concerns or questions.
Commencing in term 2, all year 10
students will receive a 5 weekly
progress report. Parents are
encouraged to discuss this report
with their child and once again
to contact teachers and year level
coordinators if they have concerns
about their child’s progress.
Year 12 Students at Ormond College, Melbourne University
VCE Study Center
A VCE Study Centre has been established for all Year
12 students to utilise during their study periods. This
is a silent working area only and the room has been
equipped with computers and a printer as well as
other resources. The VCE Study Centre is available to
students before and after school as well as at recess and
lunchtime.
All VCE students are invited to attend free tuition classes every Wednesday afterschool. These classes are not
additional instruction time but more an opportunity for students to get help and work on improving targeted areas.
Online VCE Calender
Parents and students can now view all due dates for Year 11 Assessment Tasks and Year 12 School Assessed
Coursework/Tasks on the College website at www.maribsc.vic.edu.au/. To view the due dates click on the VCE tab in
the main menu and then proceed to either Year 11 or 12.
VCE and Year 10 Parent Information Evenings
Ms Angelico - Senior Years Program Manager
All parents of VCE and year 10 students were invited to attend an information session at the College on the 23rd of
February and 2nd of March retrospectively regarding the course structures and curriculum; College expectations
regarding the completion and submission of work; specific requirements of the VCAA regarding successful
completion of outcomes, assessment tasks and school assessed coursework/tasks at VCE. Parents were also provided
with information on new procedures regarding missed formal assessments, procedures for notifying parents of
students who are not working to a satisfactory standard as well as how to access due dates on the college website.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Assistance Needed
Last year, with 690 students, the school went
through an amazing 580 boxes of tissues!!
That’s nearly 1 box per student!
This year with 890 students – we will obviously use
many many more!!
That’s why we’re asking for families to dig deep and
kind-heartedly donate of a box of tissues per family.
Money that we save on buying tissues can be spent
on other more important school supplies for your
child.
We would sincerely appreciate your assistance. If
you can help, please drop off your box to the office.
Thanks!
Uniform shop hours
Hours for the Maribyrnong College Uniform shop
are as follows:
Monday 08:00 am - 09:00 am
Wednesday 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
PARENT & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION NEWS
"Be informed, Be involved, Make a Difference"
Student Accident Insurance
Arrangements
Parents are reminded that Maribyrnong College and
the Department of Education Victoria, do not provide
personal accident insurance for students. Parents
and guardians are responsible for paying the cost of
medical treatment for injured students, including any
transport costs. These costs may be recoverable where
an injury is caused by the negligence (carelessness) of
the Department, a school council or their employees or
volunteers.
Student accident insurance policies are available from
some commercial insurers. These cover a range of
medical expenses not covered by Medicare or private
health insurance.
Receiving information via emails
If you would like to receive school information via e-mail,
please call the school on 9318 1355 or e-mail your
interest to marib.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
PFA is now up and running on the school website. Check meeting dates and event
details here or send us a message!
Our BBQ skills are improving and we happily fed many Year 7 students and families at
the recent ‘meet and greet’ night.
Look out for information about our next fundraisers
- A BBQ at Bunnings Maribyrnong on the 18th of April,
- A movie and champagne night at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville Friday 23rd April; movie is yet to be
determined – but it will be a great night – pop that date in your diary and look out for more
information coming soon!
- The fantastic paver plan (see attached flyer).
- We are also excited to announce that Hoyt’s Movie tickets will be on sale at the start of next term at
the school office at special Maribyrnong College prices:
Child (under 16) : $10.00 (compared to $12.50 at Hoyts)
Adult : $12.00 (compared to $17.50 at Hoyts)
The ticket will be valid for 6 months (depending on when they’re purchased) and the only condition is that they
may not be used after 5pm on Saturday evenings.
It was great to see some new faces at our last meeting. Although the PFA has only been running for a few
months we have already made a positive difference to the school. Please remember that all parents are
welcome. Next meeting will be 21st April, 7.30 pm in the staffroom.
From Kelly Wright - President
Page 5

CAREERS AT MARIBYRNONG COLLEGE
Year 10 Work Experience 2010
The dates for this year’s Work Experience are: 15th –25th June.
Students are expected to organize their placements ASAP! When they have confirmed their
placements they must see Ms Butera in the Careers Resource Centre in order to finalize their
Work Experience Arrangements. Students experiencing difficulty with finding placements
please seek assistance from Ms Butera, before school, lunchtimes and after school.
GOODLUCK!
A New Career Resource Centre for Students at Maribyrnong
Room A4 is now the new career resource centre in the VCE block. All students are welcome to come and browse
the many resources available. Personal assistance is provided with writing resumes, cover letters and preparing for
interview. There is a computer for accessing & exploring careers online. I look forward to seeing students making use
of this new facility
Up and Coming Career Events
It’s never too early to start exploring career options. Here are some great upcoming events to attend.
March 9th Careers in Pharmacy:
Cosser Hall, Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia 381 Royal Parade, Parkville. Cost $25
Enquiries to Grace Blake
Ph: 9389 4007
Register online: http:/www.psa.org.au/site.php?id=1352
March 10th The Prospect 360 Fashion Media Seminar:
Will run on Wednesday March 10, from 6pm to 9pm - this is the first public event to be held at Melbourne’s new
state-of-the art Media House - the new home for Fairfax Media’s Melbourne operations. Panel members include: The
Sunday Age Fashion Editor, Rachel Wells; Michi Girl Founder, Chloe Quigley; Freelance Stylist and Contributing Fashion
Editor - The Age Melbourne Magazine, Kate Gaskin; while Melbourne Editor of Vogue Australia, Anthea O’Connor, will
host the evening.
Log onto www.prospect360.com.au for tickets!
April 23rd- April 25th: The AGE VCE Career Expo
Caulfield Racecourse (opposite Caulfield Station) Friday 23 April 10am-4pm, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2010
10am-5pm
Have your say about what educational success means to you
Switched on students here’s your chance to win some prizes and have your say about what success at school really
means to you. The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), the same organization that sponsored the City Centre
Experience, has produced this great online site for students aged 13-19 to have a voice. Go to www.tellus.org.au
access the site and share your views.
Page 6
“So You Think You can Act” - Drama Club
If you like acting or learning about stagecraft like lighting, costumes make-up or stage design
then this is for you!!!!
Come along to Drama Club ever WEDNESDAY 3:30 - 4:30 after school in the theatre.
See Ms Damnics for more details
Ms Butera
Careers Coordinator

GETTING THE BEST FROM SCHOOL
Thinking and doing something about the everyday things in life can help boost your health and get the best out of
the day.
SLEEP
Not a luxury of time but a necessity. Our bodies and minds need to rest after a
day’s activities. Our bodies need to work on repairing, replacing and growing
new cells. When young people hit puberty their internal body clock changes.
You may notice that your child wants to go to sleep later and get up later –it’s
normal. However school still starts at 9am and young people need 9 hours sleep
to function well. Catching up on sleep can be tricky. Having an extra long sleep in
at the weekend doesn’t really help to catch-up on sleep missed during the week.
Also changing the sleeping pattern on the weekend from during the week can
make it harder to get to sleep at the right time during the week, and harder still
to get up for school. So support your child to have a regular sleep pattern to feel
rested and alert as needed during lesson work or exam time.
Exercise
We are all spending much more time sitting these days. We work, study and play in seats more than ever before.
Watching TV, videos, Facebook and DVDs occupy a big part of peoples spare time. So exercise is not part of our
daily life like it used to be. We now have to make an effort to make exercise a part of our lives. But is doesn’t have
to be a chore or cost money - exercise should be fun and it can be included into your normal day. Young people
need at least 60 mins per day of exercise. This can be achieved in lots of ways and variety is important. Exercise
keeps our energy levels up, helps reduces stress levels and keeps us feeling good. All these things are important
in making the most of, and doing well in, class. Endorphins the body’s “feel good “chemicals are released after
exercise which helps to reduce stress and tension. Also you get a better night’s sleep when you are regularly
active. Think about exercise in your family and find some ways to increase the amount if you are below the mark.
Jenny Taaffe
Health Promotion and Partnerships
BREAKFAST
Ask any teacher at 10am which students have had breakfast and which haven’t.
They will be able to give you a fairly accurate picture based on how the student is
responding and participating in class.
Breakfast is an important start to the day because it breaks the overnight fasting
period, replenishes your supply of glucose, provides other essential nutrients to keep
your energy levels up throughout the day and boosts metabolism.
Glucose is the energy source of the brain.
This comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates, e.g. cereals and grains (breads and pasta). While fasting overnight
blood glucose levels fall. The brain does not have the ability to store glucose, so breakfast is important to replenish
these levels and reduce fatigue. Common reasons for skipping breakfast include
Not enough time Too tired to bother
Wanting to spend the extra time in bed No readily available breakfast foods in the house
Reasons to eat breakfast
Breakfast can help improve concentration and learning abilities.
Supplies energy for the day ahead.
Young people who skip breakfast often weigh more than those who eat breakfast
Due to hunger later in the day poor food choices can result in snacking foods high in salt and fat instead of fibre,
vitamins and minerals which are essential for vitality and health.
Page 7

TERM 1 SPORTS REPORT
The 2010 Maribyrnong College
Swimming Sports were held at Oak
Park Swimming Pool on Thursday
the 18th of February. The day
was a great success, with large
participation rates in both the
swimming events and the novelty
events for non-swimmers. The
introduction of Houses to this year’s
swimming sports added colour and
enthusiastic support to the event,
with many outstanding outfits in red,
green, gold or blue.
The swimming events began with an
invitation event to highlight some of
our outstanding swimmers. All eight
swimmers in the invitation event had
Page 8
Maribyrnong College Swimming Carnival
Year Level Swimming
Championships
represented Victoria or won a State
championship gold medal in 2009.
This was followed by the freestyle
relays where 164 students took part.
Novelty events were also very
popular, with the water volleyball
competition and water based relays
very popular. The day ended with
students enjoying some free time in
the main pool or riding the 30-metre
waterslide.
Throughout the day we witnessed
some fantastic swimming. The
following students were recognised
as Year Level Swimming Champions:
Section C Swimming Championships
Maribyrnong College were convincing winners of the
Section C Swimming Carnival, winning the overall
competition by almost 300 points, and winning the junior
boys and girls, intermediate boys and girls and senior girls
sections. Maribyrnong won 54 of the 72 races on the day.
Gold House Winners
Y7 Girls Lushavel Stickland
Y7 Boys Tim Ma
Y8 Girls Stephanie Wagenknecht
Y8 Boys Jordan Bennett
Y9 Girls Gronya Somerville
Y9 Boys Nathan Smith
Y10 Girls Kahlia Marsh
Y10 Boys Brad Moore
Y11 Girls Alexandra Samarin
Y11 Boys Chad Camp
Y12 Girls Maddie Sullivan
Y12 Boys Jodie Walker / Dillon Singh
In the end it was Gold House who
took the honours with a 3 point win
over Green House.
Interschool Golf
Year 7, 9 and 10 Sports Teams
Congratulations to Georgia Nankivell and Daniel
Willems who have qualified for the VSSSA State Golf
championships after strong performances at the
recent Western Zone finals held at Bacchus Marsh
golf course.
Good luck to the remaining Year levels who will be competing over the next two weeks as the
newsletter goes to print at the Western Bayside District Sport.
The Sports Coordinator Darren Clark and coaches are confident in more teams making it through
to the Western Zone Finals.

Senior Interschool Sport
On Tuesday 16th of February,
Maribyrnong College Senior
students competed in the Western
Bayside District Summer Sports
Competition. With teams entered
in volleyball, tennis, cricket and
softball, Maribyrnong ended the day
winning the majority of sports.
The girls softball team had
a comfortable win in the final
defeating Williamstown HS 22-12.
Our boys A and B tennis teams
played off in the final after being
undefeated in the preliminary
rounds, while our boys volleyball
team also went through the
competition undefeated.
All these winning teams will now
compete in the Western Zone finals
early in term 2.
Senior Boys Volleyball Team Senior Girls Softball Team
Senior Girls Volleyball Team
Senior Boys Cricket Team
Year 8 Interschool Sport
With the introduction of the Sport
Ed Program in the Physical Education
classes we have seen greater
participation and more sports teams
entering in the Western Bayside
District Sport (WDB) Competition.
This term in the Year 8 Summer
competition we had a total of 6
Tennis teams, 5 Volleyball teams, 1
Cricket team and 1 Baseball team
represent Maribyrnong College. All
students performed extremely well
Senior Boys Tennis Team
on the day.
Our Year 8 boys Volleyball, Cricket
and girls Tennis teams have all
progressed to the Western Zone
finals after winning the WDB
competition.
Year 8 girls Volleyball team Year 8 boys Baseball team Year 8 boys Cricket team Year 8 boys Volleyball team
Page 9

VICTORIAN PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE
This year 146 Maribyrnong College
students are registered to participate in
the Premier’s Reading Challenge. This is
a great achievement!
The Premier’s Reading Challenge
promotes the love and enjoyment of
reading amongst students. Maribyrnong
College library has a wide range of books
that are suitable for a wide variety of
reading levels.
We would like to see more students
participating. Students need to read 15
books by the 13th of August. Students
who meet the Challenge will receive
a certificate of achievement from the
Premier Mr Brumby, have their name
published in The Age newspaper (with
parental permission), and receive points
ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO READ AT HOME
When your child tells you that they have no homework, ask them if they’ve done their daily home reading. Research
shows that students of all year levels who read regularly do better in school and in their future career prospects.
Reading builds vocabulary and increases world knowledge; two big factors in dealing with the increased text reading
load of secondary school. Unfortunately, adolescents often lose interest in reading at just the time when they need to
be practising their reading skills more than ever. They need parents’ support and encouragement to read for at least 30
minutes per day at home. Here are some ways that parents can support their children to read at home:
o Model reading at home by having magazines, newspapers, and a variety of books available.
Let your child see you reading them too!
o Buy books based on films or television shows. These are hooks that lead to a renewed interest in texts.
o Encourage your child to write down the lyrics of favourite songs.
Music is the bridge to both writing and reading poetry.
o Take your child to a bookstore. Allow them to select their individual style of reading.
o Take books out of the local library. Model the love of reading within your community.
o Visit the school library and talk to the teacher - librarian about strategies for promoting reading.
o Buy books on CD and play them in the car or at home, or download audio books to use on
mp3 players or computers.
o Discuss your child’s heroes and help them find books to engage your child in reading about them.
o Encourage your child to write a letter to a favourite author to give feedback about a book.
o Look for books of a topical nature written for young people.
o If your child loves sports, try to find books about favourite athletes.
o Never criticize your child’s tastes in books. Instead, offer to read one that they have recommended.
Nothing succeeds like the bond between readers.
If you have questions about your child’s reading progress, please contact their English teacher or feel free to ring our
Literacy Coordinator, Mary Anne Griffith.
Page 10
towards their College house.
Students who have not yet registered
and who would like to participate in the
Challenge need to see Ms Collett or Ms
Shephard in the library.
Those students who have been
registered need to make sure that they
return their consent form signed by their
parent or guardian to the library in order
to be able to be in the Challenge.
If you would like to know more please
visit:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/
default.htm
Enjoy your reading!
Ms Collett

Specialist Sport
N e w s
SPORT DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Rob Carroll - Sport Director
It has been a busy and exciting term
for the specialist sport program as
we have welcomed back 320 student
athletes to the program including
145 new student athletes. The
athletes have come to the College
from many parts of Victoria including
various regional and metropolitan
areas.
The sports enrolments now comprise
over 30% of the total student cohort
and there is no doubt that it is
becoming more difficult to access
the program - there were around 400
student enquiries for the 145 places.
More than ever, there is an emphasis
on sound academic performance
and great character traits as well
as sporting talent in order to be
selected.
In addition, the program has a new
name and after an Advisory Board
recommendation to School Council,
it is now called the Maribyrnong
Sports Academy and it will be a subbrand
with the school retaining the
Maribyrnong College master-brand.
There is excitement and expectation
about moving into our new sports
facilities in Term 2 and a full facility
update is supplied below.
New physical education teachers,
coaches and support staff have also
joined the Sports Academy and the
College warmly welcomes them to
our school community. It is great
to see the results of our coaching
programs emerging and there
are currently former Maribyrnong
College athletes at the Australian
Institute of Sport (Eliza Hynes-Beach
Volleyball, Brodie Patterson and
Melvin Beckett - Soccer) and several
others in US College programs
(Sarah Mollison - Lacrosse, Tarryn
McPherson- Basketball).
Many of our Year 12 Sports Academy
graduates from 2009 have taken up
sports themed courses at University
and this is also an exciting pathway
development.
A number of our students have
recently been selected for Victoria
in National Championships in a
variety of sports including Athletics,
Swimming, Lacrosse and Futsal. We
wish them well in their endeavours
and encourage them to set exciting
goals for themselves.
Term 1 2010
U P & C O M I N G E V E N T S
School Holidays Gym Open
Times
Week 1 :
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
08:00 am to 10:00 am
Week 2
By appointment only.
Contact Mr Smyth on his mobile to
arrange an appointment
Page 11

THE VICTORIAN SCHOOL SPORTS AWARDS - BLUES AWARD
The Victorian School Sports Awards,
commonly known as the “Blues
Awards” were recently held at the
Members Dining Room at the MCG
to honour the best young sportsmen
and women in government schools.
A Sporting Blue is the highest sports
award that a student can receive
from the Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development
and recognises outstanding
achievement from both primary
and secondary students in sixteen
different sports.
Maribyrnong College featured
significantly in this prestigious event
with three of our students receiving
awards and prizes. Natalie Roberts
won the Sporting Blue for female
Swimming while Brodie Patterson
won the male Soccer category. As
Page 12
Cem Kahraman presented by Hon Bronwyn
Pike, Minister for education for the
Outstanding Student Achievement.
Brodie is currently living in Canberra
as a result of a residential AIS
scholarship, his award was accepted
by his sister Chelsea who is also
in the Sports Academy program
(soccer) at Maribyrnong.
A special category is awarded for
Outstanding Student Achievement
and the college was proud that
Cem Kahraman (Taekwondo) took
out this section for Victoria. Cem is
currently ranked 8th in the world in
the sport and in 2009 won a Gold
Medal at the World Championships
in Korea. Afer just having returned
from a competition in Mexico Cem
drove straight from the airport to
the MCG to accept his award. He was
presented with his Award by the Hon
Bronwyn Pike, Minister for Education.
Our recipients had a photo taken
with Minister Pike on stage with Mr.
Scott and Mr. Carroll. The parents
of the Award winners were hosted
at a luncheon to witness the Award
ceremony and it was great that they
were all able to attend.
The Awards were hosted by Olympic
medallist and swimming legend
Nicole Livingston and presenters
included Matthew Lloyd (Essendon
FC), Sharelle McMahon (Melbourne
Vixens and Commonwealth Games
medallist), Jeffrey Risely (Beijing
Athletics Olympian) and our own Erin
Carroll (Beijing Badminton Olympian)
to round off the Maribyrnong
presence. We hope that these are
the first of many Sporting Blues for
Maribyrnong student athletes.
Cem Kahraman, Natalie Roberts Sporting Blue for female swimming and
Brodie Patterson (represented by sister Chelsea), recipient winner Sporting
Blue for male soccer together with Principal Nick Scott, Sports Director
Rob Carroll and Erin Carroll Beijing Badminton Olympian .

SPORTS FACILITY UPDATE
The builders are into the final stages
of the sports facilities fit-out this
week with carpets being laid in the
staff areas, student classrooms and
conference areas on the first floor
mezzanine areas.
All site visits have been suspended
while the tradesmen sand, seal
and line the main sports hall in
preparation for basketball, volleyball,
netball, futsal and European handball
courts. Backboards, net poles and
netting will be fitted during the next
fortnight.
The badminton courts have already
been lined and sealed and need
only the specialised lighting system
installed to be complete. The ice
bath/water recovery areas are almost
complete with the final tiling well
underway.
The work to erect external light poles
to the tennis courts has started as has
the stair/ramp areas that will connect
the indoor and outdoor facilities. The
laying of the new PlexiCushion tennis
surface is expected to commence
very soon as well.
Office furniture and the fitness
equipment for the weight training
centre will arrive during the first
Inside basketball stadium
Entrance foyer with inside running track
week of April. If things go according
to schedule, we are confident that
student athletes will be training out
of the new Sports Academy early in
Term 2.
The college is now in high level
discussions with the Department of
Education to secure the funding for
synthetic fields for soccer, hockey
and athletics and we should know
the outcome of those talks within the
next month. It is an exciting time for
the whole school community to see
these multi-million dollar facilities so
close to completion.
Front entry to the Sports Stadium
Classroom Staff offices
Physical Preparation area - weights room Hydrotherapy
Page 13

LEADERSHIP, VALUES AND INDUCTION CAMP
Two camps have recently been held
at Lake Dewar and Lady Northcote
YMCA venues to induct one
hundred and forty five new student
athletes into the Maribyrnong
Sports Academy - the new name
for the Sports Specialism. (School
Council and Advisory Board decision
recently) The students have run,
swam, paddled, climbed, cycled and
swung their way through an exciting
assortment of activities and physical/
mental challenges to achieve four
broad aims:
1. To get to know themselves
better and challenge personal
limits
Page 14
2. To get to know the other
student athletes - names,
interests, personalities etc
3. To get to know the staff and vice
versa
4. To learn about the Sports
Academy Program - processes,
expectations, shared values etc.
Throughout the camps, staff closely
monitored student interactions
and contributions to identify and
encourage student leadership
and this process will be further
developed in Term 3 during the
Victorian Olympic Council and
Australian Sports Commission
Leadership program. A Red Faces/
Talent Quest evening during the year
7 camp was a particular highlight
and showcased some hidden
talents including some fantastic
Hip Hop dancing and other acts. A
presentation of camp photos will
be made available on the college
website soon. It was great to see
staff and family members visiting the
camp after hours for a meal and to
join in camp life.

WESTERN BULLDOGS PARTNERSHIP
As a foundation member of the
Maribyrnong Sports Academy,
the Western Bulldogs presence
in the college and its programs is
expanding.
Recently, three Bulldogs players
visited the Year 9 Athlete
Development Program (ADP) to
talk about their experiences as elite
sportspersons. Senior players Brad
Johnson (captain), Nathan Eagleton
and rookie Eddie Prato interacted
with students for over 90 minutes
and spoke on a range of topics
including leadership, role modelling,
nutrition, injury, life balance and
time management.
All three expressed a wish that
they could have had the type of
preparation for professional sport
that the Sports Academy is providing
to young people.
Eddie Prato talked about his time
in the US College system as a
basketballer and how his talents had
now been transferred to the AFL
system.
In a recent development, Mitch
Hahn, a ten year player at the
Western Bulldogs, was appointed
as an Assistant Coach to Leon Harris
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM UPDATE
One of the greatest qualities these
kids have the chance to develop in
the ADP program is their ability to
work hard. A work ethic is something
they can take into any sport, career,
or personal pursuit. So far it’s been
a good start to the year in ADP with
many students adjusting to what’s
expected every time they step out
onto the training track. However
we need to keep pressing onto new
levels of intensity and focus if we’re
going to be the best in the world at
what we do.
The focus so far has been on general
conditioning in preparation for
Bulldogs players Brad Johnson,
Nathan Eagleton and Eddie Prato
much more intense training ahead.
Students have been improving
technique, increasing body strength
and improving aerobic fitness so
that their bodies can cope with the
loads that they’ll be undertaking in
the next three terms.
In addition to all the fitness training
completed so far, many of our
students have made use of the
physiotherapy, sports psychology
and nutrition services offered by the
school. The ADP staff would like to
encourage all students to make use
of the expertise we have available.
in the college program and will
contribute to the Year 7/8 football
development several times a week.
It is a wonderful opportunity for our
students to be coached by a current
AFL player as well as having access
to AFL Development coaches in an
AFL training venue at the Whitten
oval on a weekly basis.
Mr Wayne Tattersall (Chief Financial
Officer) for the Western Bulldogs will
also join School Council along with
representatives from the Victorian
Institute of Sport (Bernadette
Sierakowski) and Victoria University.
Self discovery -
If you can get a kid to discover what they’re capable of they can take that with them every
time they step out to compete.
Hard work –
It’s only when you push yourself to a new level of intensity and effort that you discover
something new about what you can do.
Year 9 ADP athletes with
Bulldogs players
It’s been a tough start for many of
the students not used to what we
ask for in ADP however we are very
happy with the way the students are
adapting. Being in this program is
hard, but hard work has its rewards.
We hope that all of our students
have an incredible break and we
look forward to seeing everyone
back in Term 2.
Nat Gilbert
On behalf of the ADP staff.
Page 15

TECHNICAL TRAINING UPDATE
Pam Ryan, former Olympic and
commonwealth games medallist
has been working with our sprinters
and hurdlers this term and the
athletes have made significant
Page 16
AFL
A new addition to our coaching
staff has got things off to a flying
start in our AFL program. Bulldog,
Mitch Hanh has jumped on board
with Leon Harris and has been busily
acquainting himself with players and
staff.
Congratulations to Mitch and the
Bulldogs on their NAB Cup win and
we wish you all the best for the
Athletics
Basketball
Term 1 has seen an introduction
into the next phase of the basketball
program for our developing athletes,
with three levels of transition for
Junior, Intermediate, and Senior
players. Former Perth Wildcat and
Singapore Slinger, Shane McDonald
has been a welcome addition to
Cricket
It has been a very successful start
to technical cricket training this
term. There are now 22 students in
the program with students ranging
from year 7 to year 11. Our 7 new
cricketing recruits are settling in
well and are showing some great
potential for the future. Our strength
and conditioning expert for cricket
Nat Gilbert, has also dropped in to
put some students on individual
training programs. He has also given
season. With plenty of developing
talent and the continued support
from Bulldogs development coach,
Chris Maple and his development
players we look forward to the year
and the progression of players within
the program.
Leon Harris, Mitch Hahn,
Marty Cusack
improvements. Our distance runners
have been undertaking technique
sessions with level 4 coach Francis
Lipscombe. It was great to see three
of our athletes Tegan Newman
the coaching staff. There has been
a great attitude and work ethic put
forth by each of the players in the
program, with those senior players
leading the way. The improvement
shown by players over the past year
has been something to behold. I look
forward to the program growing
the squad some warm-up ideas and
preparation exercises to improve
everybody’s conditioning.
On the playing front congratulations
must go to Touk Miller, Ben Allan and
Guy Walker for winning the under
14 State Cricket Championship
with the North-West Wizards over
the summer. Alex Ross’s team also
finished second at the under 16
Dowling Shield State Championship.
Leon Harris welcoming AFL Bulldogs player
Mitch Hanh to the football coaching staff
at Maribyrnong College
and Jacob McCormack represent
Victoria at the recent National
Championships in Sydney.
and players excelling to greater
achievements as we move forward.
Great work guys, keep it up!
Brian Vaughns, Peter Fleming,
Shane McDonald
Some individual highlights included
Alex Ross finishing the tournament
as leading wicket taker in the under
16 competition, Guy Walker finishing
the leading wicket taker in the under
14 competition and Kimba Tipene-
Riki touring New Zealand with the
Crusaders team. Well done to all.
Leigh Holmes, Lyndsay Walker

Hockey
Victor Romagosa has been working
with a much larger group of 16
hockey students this term. Hockey
players from across the state have
Lacrosse
With regular coach Paul Mollison
unavailable, U.S import Kristen has
been working with the lacrosse
Tennis
As the year begins we are all excited
about the prospect of training in
our new facility and on our new
courts. There have been a few
players exit the program, although
we are pleased to say that the influx
of talent has been fantastic over the
summer. We can now say that there
Soccer
The start to the football program in
2010 has been an exciting one, with
an expansion of talented athletes.
The program currently boasts 51
student athletes in the program,
each finding their own pathway to
become a Socceroo or Matilda. As
a whole, all student athletes have
worked hard at their technique, and
developing tactical aspects of the
game. The Year 7 group are currently
using a Coerver based emphasis
for 2010 and this teaching method
is paying off with players quickly
becoming comfortable with the ball,
enrolled in the program and are
benefiting from Victor’s expertise.
Sarah Breen has been selected in
the State U/18 team for 2010, and
students, introducing some excellent
drill and skill sessions. Many of our
current lacrosse students are in the
are more than 8 players who will
be entertaining the idea of playing
in ITF events throughout this year
which will put our players on a world
scale by the end of 2010. Training
has begun well and tournament
results have been pleasing early in
the year. We would like to welcome
and gaining confidence in their own
style of play.
On Wednesday 10th of March, the
program was fortunate enough to
train under the expert coaching of
Arthur Papas. In 2009, Arthur was
a Technical Coach at Maribyrnong
and is currently the Men’s Football
Scholarship Coach at the Australian
Institute of Sport. The football
program has Arthur back on board,
this time as Maribyrnong’s Technical
Consultant. The training session
was extremely successful, where all
athletes learnt new concepts of the
NATIONAL SCHOOLS CYCLING CUP
National Schools Cycling Cup
The National Schools Cycling Cup
will be held near Shepparton over
three consecutive days on March
23-25. The Championships comprise
various disciplines including a road
race, time trial and criterion events.
The college will be represented by
several other students will no doubt
push for state selection as the year
progresses.
Australian U19 squad and these
sessions will be of great benefit.
all the newcomers to the program
and wish all of our players a
successful journey at Maribyrnong.
Marc Sophoulis, Michael Baroch,
Dean Bleazby and Marty Cusack
game, whilst restoring the correct
skills and decision making they
already possessed.
The program also looks to introduce
the skills learnt into a friendly game
against another schools in Term 2.
All players must be congratulated
on the fine start to the year, as we
continue to guide players towards
an AIS scholarship or A-League
contract.
Aaron Symons, Harry Chalkitis,
Peter Zois
Sports Academy students including
Maddie Cardillo, Ebony Clarke, Tyson
Breen and Sean McIvor.
Page 17

NEW STAFF - SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
What is Sport Psychology?
Traditionally, an athlete’s level of
physical fitness, technical skill, and
tactical skill was viewed as the
key to their sporting performance
and success. Although all of these
factors are important, it is now
widely accepted that optimal
performance is also connected to
an athlete’s mental state – and that
is where sport psychology can help.
Sport psychology focuses on the
mental factors that influence an
athlete’s performance, satisfaction,
enjoyment, and wellbeing.
Page 18
Tara Kavanagh
Sport Psychologist
For those whom I have not yet met, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce
myself - my name is Tara Kavanagh and I am the new coordinator of the Sport
Psychology Program at Maribyrnong College. Here’s a little background information:
I recently completed my Doctorate in Applied Psychology (Sport), and I have 3 years
experience out in the field. I have worked with athletes of all ages and standards,
predominantly in the sports of tennis, golf, AFL, and athletics. I have also done some
travelling with teams as a consultant, and have 11 years experience as a tennis coach.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Maribyrnong College to date, and look forward
to the year ahead. This term I will be focusing on: (1) meeting all the student-athletes,
coaches, and staff of the specialist sport program; (2) individual consultations; (3)
analysing learning styles; and (4) time management.
What will the 2010 program
involve?
Tarah Kavanagh will be coordinating
the sport psychology program at
Maribyrnong College in 2010. The
services that will be offered to all
athletes and coaches are:
•Individual consultations (by
appointment)
•Psychological assessments and
interventions (e.g., learning styles)
•Educational workshops/classes (as
part of the Athlete Development
Program)
•Newsletters
•Resource library
•Observational/field sessions and
feedback
Contacting the Sports Psychologist
If any student-athlete would like an individual sport psychology
consultation, please contact Mark Smyth to arrange an appointment
time. I am onsite at Maribyrnong College on Monday and Thursday
7.30am-1.00pm.
If anyone has any questions or ideas for the Sport Psychology Program,
please don’t hesitate to send me an email: tarahkavanagh@me.com.
What are some of the
specific areas a sport
psychologist can help me
with?
•Mental skills training (i.e., goal
setting, imagery, self-talk, and
relaxation)
•Emotional control (i.e., anxiety,
stress, and anger management)
•Time management, life balance, and
overtraining
•Concentration and focus
•Positive thinking
•Confidence and self-esteem
•Motivation
•Team building and conflict
•Leadership skills
•Communication and interpersonal
relationships
•Competition preparation and
routines
•Travel skills
•Injury rehabilitation
•Career planning and transitions
•Mental health (i.e., depression)
•Crisis and trauma
•Grief and loss
•Personal conflict
•Resilience and coping
•Disordered eating
•Maintaining healthy behaviours

EATING BEFORE COMPETITION
By Louise Falzon; Sports Dietitian; MSC
WHAT SHOULD I EAT BEFORE COMPETITION?
It is important to ensure that you eat adequate carbohydrate and plenty of fluid in the
week before your competition. The meal eaten before should be high in carbohydrate, to
help top up your muscle glycogen stores which provide an important source of fuel for
your activity.
THE NIGHT BEFORE COMPETITION
o DINNER – Should be high in starchy carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat
• Pasta Bolognese or pasta bake
• Chicken or beef stir-fry with noodles
• Risotto
• Low fat fried rice
o DESSERT or SUPPER – Should be high in carbohydrates and low fat to top up fuel stores
• Low fat custard and banana
• Fruit salad and low fat yoghurt
• Low fat fruit crumble and low fat ice-cream
• Jelly and two fruits
• Rice pudding or creamed rice
PRE EVENT MEAL ON THE DAY OF COMPETITION -
Should be at least 2.5 – 4 hours before the event (2 hours before at the latest if early morning start)
High in carbohydrate, easy to digest, low in fat and food you enjoy
o Breakfast pre match meal ideas
• High fibre cereal & toast with jam or honey
• Plain breakfast cereal with low-fat milk and fruit
• Porridge or muesli with low-fat milk and fruit juice
• Pancakes/piklets with golden syrup or honey or jam
• Toast, English muffins, or crumpets with honey or jam
• Baked beans or canned spaghetti on multigrain toast
o Lunch pre match meal ideas (can also be leftovers from night before)
• Pasta with low-fat tomato-based sauce
• Wholemeal rolls or sandwiches with banana and honey
• Pita bread wrap or sandwiches with ham or chicken and salad
• Low fat fried rice or risotto
PRE EVENT SNACK ON THE DAY OF COMPETITION
1.5 hours before the event have a light high carbohydrate snack to top up fuel stores
• Jam or honey sandwich
• Muesli bar
• Banana
• Rice crackers or corn thins
• Low fat fruit muffin
• Dried or fresh fruit
Practice eating these meals before heavy training sessions to work out what your stomach can tolerate
Louise Falzon
Sports Dietitian
If you suffer from pre-match nerves or can’t compete with a full stomach, try having nutritious drinks (e.g. Low fat
smoothie), fruit juice or liquid meal supplements (e.g. Sustagen Sport, Up n Go Energize, Big M Edge) or eat early and
top up with small snacks (bars etc) and drinks closer to the event.
Page 19