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VOLUME XXX No 8 7th June, 2013

F R O M T H E H E A D O F C O L L E G E Χριστός Ανέστη On Friday, 31st May, the College was privileged to host the visit of Vice Admiral and Deputy Chief of Defence Alexandros Theodossiou HN and Commander Georgios Pelekanos HN. These high ranking men of the Hellenic Armed Forces, were in Australia for the 72nd commemorations of the Battle of Crete. They were escorted by Mr Matt Walsh of the R.S.L. During their visit to the Senior School, they toured the facilities and addressed a Special Assembly held in their honour. In his speech the Vice Admiral extolled the virtues of faith, discipline and tradition for students and young people everywhere. The College Captain, Mathew Kambos was equally impressive in his speech which focussed on the demands and challenges facing young people in endeavouring to live a moral life in today’s complex world. Our honourable guests had the highest praise for our College and they made specific mention of the standard of uniform, an area in which they have considerable authority. They noted the Icons hanging in every classroom. They were most impressed by the warmth and respect that was clearly evident between and among students and teachers.

My response to them was that St Spyridon College is blessed to have a strong and dynamic Parish and Community as well as parents and families that support educators to develop these virtues in young people.

In the context of such praise for our College, from high-ranking military men of reputation and authority, we remind everyone to model discipline and respect in their conduct towards teachers, students and indeed all persons, particularly at sporting fixtures where passions tend to run high.

We have thirty years of outstanding reputation to live up to. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that each of us does our personal best to enhance it. Thank you

DATES TO REMEMBER J U N E

Queens’ Birthday Public Holiday School closed

10th

Year 11 Drama Performance Evening 5.30pm SPACe

19th

Term ends for staff and students Reports to Parents JS

21st

J U L Y

Staff and students return VET Work Placement

15th

P & T Interviews K – 4 & 6 16th Parent Teacher Conferences Years 7-9 17th P & T Interviews K – 4 & 5 18th Parent Teacher Conferences Years 10 & 11 22nd Athletics Carnival SS 25th Athletics Carnival JS 26th HSC TRIALS begin 29th

A U G U S T

State Futsal Championships JS 5th & 6th Divine Liturgy K-12 State Futsal SS

8th

The Dormition of the Theotokos School closed

15th

ISA Semi Finals 17th Appreciating Culture Lecture and Art Exhibition

20th

Mrs E. Stefanou-Haag

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K – 1 2 N E W S UNIFORM SHOP TIMES: The Uniform Shop will be selling girls’ tights for a trial period; they should be in stock by Wednesday 12th June. The cost will be $10 a pair. 8.30 am to 10.00 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm – Wednesday only school term. J U N I O R S C H O O L R E P O R T

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS Parent Teacher interviews will be held on: Tuesday 16th July and Thursday 18th July Kindergarten - Year 4. Middle School interviews will be held on Tuesday 16th July – Year 6 Thursday 18th July - Year 5 Class teachers K-4 will be conducting interviews in their classrooms. Middle School teachers (Yr 5/6) and Greek teachers will be conducting their interviews in the Library. Please note: No co-curricular activities will be held during this week. Mrs A Synesios Acting Principal EARN & LEARN 2013 The Woolworths Earn & Learn program ends on Sunday 9th June. Thank you for your support.

PRIMARY PEER SUPPORT NEWS After the success of the Peer Support and ‘Buddies’ program last year, we are continuing the program in Semester 2 of this year. ‘Living Positively’ develops the skills and knowledge for students to approach life with a positive attitude, use their strengths, engage in enjoyable activities and show gratitude to others. This module will support students to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to identify their individual strengths and maintain a positive outlook on life. Living Positively is based on the belief, students can become more optimistic by monitoring their internal messages and living in harmony with their particular strengths. “It is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” Dalai Lama Below is an overview of the sessions that will take place before the end of the term. Session One - We are commencing our Peer Support lessons this week. The whole school participates in Peer Support for 30 minutes each week. Two Peer leaders facilitate a small group of 8-10 younger students, who work together through a number of structured activities. Each teacher will supervise 2-3 groups in their classroom. We are working on a module called Living Positively helping us explore the concept of optimism. The module runs for 8 sessions. Our first session enables the children to get to know everyone in the group, agreeing on how they will work well together and interact cooperatively with others. They will also begin to think about what it means to be optimistic. We encourage you to talk to your children about Peer Support every week, as it will help to reinforce the concepts learned in each session. Session Two - This week in Peer Support the children will share the things they enjoy in life and have an opportunity to discuss their favourite activity. This session enables children to recognise what makes them happy. Discuss with your child their favourite activity. Mrs N. Economou Year 5 Teacher

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S E N I O R S C H O O L R E P O R T

HALF YEARLY REPORTS Years 7-11

Years 7-11 Half Yearly Reports will be posted at the end of Term 2.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Years 7 - 9 Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Wednesday, 17th July, 2013 for students in Years 7 to 9. Years 10 and 11 Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, 22nd July, 2013 for students in Years 10 and 11.

Appointments are to be made directly with Teachers by the students. Parents are asked to attend the Parent Teacher Conference with their child.

CONGRATULATIONS

Georgia Giatsos and Stephanie Mio of Year 11 have been accepted into the National Art School’s Intensive Studio Practice for 2013. This is a highly competitive set of practical workshops that accepts only 50 students across the State. Stephanie and Georgia submitted a portfolio and written statements and were selected for their first choice of studios – Georgia has been accepted into Sculpture and Stephanie in Ceramics. We are looking forward to seeing the work produced from these workshops when they are exhibited at NAS later this year.

Ms M. Pringle Visual Arts Teacher

Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School

M I D D L E S C H O O L R E P O R T “True leaders have the courage to be imperfect” anonymous Students, especially high achievers, and those others in leadership positions, sometimes have an overwhelming desire to always be right, to never make a mistake, to always to be perfect. This in turn can result in stress, panic, and a fear of failure. However, these pressures can be eased and even eliminated by simply accepting that being imperfect, making mistakes, is not only normal but a necessary part of building resilience and character! So how does being a good leader of oneself, and being a leader of others as well fit in with the above quote? True leaders…show confidence and a willingness to do things differently …have the strength to know that they are not always right or perfect …are comfortable in accepting that they don’t know it all …accept their mistakes and readily admit to them. Now is the time to show your strength by being confident enough, have a go even if you make a mistake; or if there is a risk that the end result is not what you expect it to be, be comfortable in knowing that all will be okay, and you are learning from all your experiences to be a better you. YEAR 7 “Kick Start” Academic Skills Development The first of three Academic Skills development seminars for Year 7 was held in Pastoral Care recently. Students were introduced to the concept of dynamic reading, note taking and summarizing. Tips to help with memory were also provided. Feedback from all involved was unanimously positive. Last week students were provided with activity booklets that specifically aim to provide practise in the skills introduced during the seminar. These will be worked on in Pastoral Care during the remaining weeks of term. This process will be repeated for each of the remaining seminars. We ask that parents of Year 7 assist their children by monitoring the completion of homework activities associated with these units.

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STUDENT LEADERSHIP The Student Representative Council (SRC) The SRC has been meeting every week this term to finalize their goals and plan fundraising activities for both their projects and charity organizations. This week students showed leadership by example by bringing in donations to sponsor a disadvantaged child in Africa through World Vision. They decided this would be an ongoing annual SRC commitment for all future representatives. On Tuesday next week they have organised a “Teachers Tasty Treats” competition. This will involve teachers baking and bring a signature cake from home to be tasted and judged by students for a fee. This will be followed on Thursday at recess by a cake stall of goodies made by SRC’s as part of the Cancer Councils ‘Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea’. Everyone is encouraged to follow the SRC’s motto “GET YOUR SPIRIT ON” by bringing money on Tuesday and Thursday to support these fun and worthy activities. SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM The second round of immunizations for the HPV vaccine for all Year 7 students and Year 9 boys, along with vaccinations for Varicella (one dose) was conducted this week. Catch ups for any student from these groups who were absent during the first visit in Term 1 also took place. If any student was absent during this second round, parents please be aware that they can be brought up to date during the third and final visit in Term 4, or if preferred you may finish the course of vaccinations at your GP. TERM 2 Middle School Assembly At the end of each term the achievements of Middle School students are celebrated with a special assembly. Due to the shortness of this term and the involvement of many staff in various activities during the closing weeks of Term 2, our Middle School Assembly will be postponed until the end of Week 1, Term 3. SCHOOL LIAISON POLICE TALK Year 8 were recently addressed by our School Liaison Police Officer Senior Constable Rachael Delucyk from the Maroubra Command Centre about her role in the community. Students were very interested and asked lots of questions, especially about the weapon she carried and the

dangers faced by Police officers in general. The Senior Constable will be visiting the school during Pastoral Care throughout the year to speak with students across all year groups on a variety of topics, including Cybersafety, Safe Driving, and The Law and the Young Offenders Act, to name just a few.

NEUROBICS – Developing a Smarter Brain Just like muscular strength, your ability to remember increases when you exercise your memory and nurture it with a good diet and other healthy habits. Physical exercise and engaging your brain with intellectually stimulating activities will not only improve your memory, it can also afford your brain greater protection against disease or injury as you age. Novelty and sensory stimulation are the foundation of brain exercise. If you break your routine in a challenging way, you’re using brain pathways you weren’t using before. This can involve something as simple as brushing your teeth with your non dominant hand, which activates little-used connections on the non- dominant side of your brain – improving your ability to transmit, store and retrieve information. Other “neurobic” exercises (aerobic exercises for the brain) include:

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� Showering and getting dressed with your eyes closed. � Completely rearranging your desk at home. � Reading about topics that you are not familiar with. � Learning a new game of strategy. � Cooking new recipes/recipes from unfamiliar cuisine. � Combining two or more senses in unexpected ways. eg. Listening to a specific piece of music while smelling a particular aroma. � Taking different routes to school. � Studying in different locations. � Writing with a pencil instead of a pen (or vice versa). � Writing with the other hand. � Working through unseen exam style questions. � Working on multiple subjects or tasks at the same time. Remember that memory, like muscular strength, is a “use it or lose it” ability. Ms G Kokinelis Dean of Middle School G R E E K C O L U M N Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι, Στην έκδοση αυτή θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με το γραπτό της μαθήτριας της Δευτέρας τάξης του Γυμνασίου Μερσίνας Χριστέφ . Το γραπτό αφορά ένα άρθρο για τις διατροφικές συνήθειες των Ελλήνων. Κ. Μ. Φαλέτα Γεια  σας,  είμαι  η  δημοσιογράφος  Μερσίνα Χριστέφ και θα σας παρουσιάσω μια έρευνα σχετικά με τα φαγητά, που οι οικογένειες στις μέρες μας τρώνε κυρίως για δείπνο. Το δείπνο μπορεί να είναι υγιεινό ή ανθυγιεινό, ανάλογα με τις επιλογές της οικογένειας. Όλοι γνωρίζουμε ότι πρέπει να στοχεύουμε προς την κατεύθυνση υγεινή διατροφή. Πολλές οικογένειες στη γενιά μας έχουν την διάθεση να απολαύσουν ένα ωραίο σπιτικό φαγητό, που μπορεί να είναι ζυμαρικά, κοτόπουλο με πατάτες, σούπες, κρέας μπάρμπεκιου, λαζάνια, θαλασσινά, ρύζι, ψαρικά κλπ. Αυτά είναι από τα φαγητά που θεωρούνται υγιεινά .

Αλλά δυστυχώς στις ημέρες μας πολλές οικογένειες για διάφορους λόγους, είτε γιατί δεν διαθέτουν χρόνο λόγω πολλαπλών επαγγελματικών υποχρεώσεων, είτε γιατί δεν ξέρουν να μαγειρέψουν ή ακόμα γιατί δεν έχουν την όρεξη για να το κάνουν, καταφεύγουν στα έτοιμα φαγητά. Τα φαγητά αυτά είναι τα γνωστά Mc Donalds, KFC, Oporto, Red Rooster, Dominos, Pizza Hut και άλλα. Ένας ακόμα παράγοντας που επηρεάζει τις διατροφικές συνήθειες των ανθρώπων είναι και η εθνική τους ταυτότητα και παράδοση. Έτσι οι οικογένειες σήμερα έχουν την δυνατότητα να διαλέξουν ανάμεσα σε πολλά φαγητά , όμως πρέπει να μη ξεχνάμε πως η υγιεινή επιλογή είναι πάντα η καλύτερη. Mersina Hristeff 8GKA Σου αρέσουν τα σπορτ; Τι σου αρέσει να κάνεις; Γράψε γι’ αυτά που σου αρέσει να κάνεις. Ποιες μέρες κάνεις σπορτ; Ναι, μου αρέσουν πάρα πολύ τα σπορτ! Μου αρέσει να κάνω γυμναστική, χορό και κολύμπι. Τη Δευτέρα κάνω κολύμπι, την Παρασκευή κάνω γυμναστική και το Σάββατο κάνω χορό. Δεν μπορώ να ξεχωρίσω κάποιο από τα τρία. Μου αρέσουν πάρα πολύ και τα τρία. Θα ήθελα να έχω πιο πολύ χρόνο για σπορτ, αλλά δεν γίνεται, γιατί έχω να κάνω τη δουλειά μου για το σχολείο! Αθανασία Μάνου Τάξη Γ΄1 Μου αρέσει τόσο πολύ να κάνω γυμναστική! Είναι, όμως λιγάκι δύσκολα όλα αυτά που μας λέει η δασκάλα να κάνουμε! Κάνω γυμναστική κάθε Σάββατο για δύο τρεις ώρες. Ένα άλλο σπορτ που μου αρέσει να κάνω είναι το κολύμπι. Πηγαίνω για κολύμπι κάθε Παρασκευή μετά το σχολείο. Το κολύμπι, όμως, είναι πιο δύσκολο από τη γυμναστική. Είναι πολύ δύσκολο και δε μου αρέσει όσο μου αρέσει η γυμναστική! Ανδριάνα Δρακούλη Τάξη Γ΄1 Κύριος Άγγελος Αμδίτης

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C A R E E R S C O L U M N Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 have all had information sessions related to careers and subjects over the past three weeks. Year 10 have been involved in the subject selection process for their senior studies, learning about the different subjects available and making decisions based on their interests and abilities. They will have further sessions related to career paths and post - HSC courses at university and TAFE to help them through this important phase. Year 11 have been busy with their examinations, but will need to decide their final HSC subjects later in the year. They have been encouraged to start planning their career paths and to explore all the opportunities available to them, so that wise decisions are made in preparation for their tertiary courses. Year 12 students are planning their career paths and exploring courses at university and other tertiary institutions. To help them in this process, they attended the Careers Expo on Friday 31st May, where students were able to access information from a wide range of providers, including universities, TAFE colleges, private colleges, NSW Board of Studies, gap-year organisers, and many other institutions. They have been encouraged to book an interview with me to discuss their future plans. INFORMATION SESSIONS There are a number of information sessions coming up related to courses, scholarships, university open days and opportunities to experience a day at university. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend if considering any of these areas: UNSW is offering A Day @ UNSW three more times this year, on 10th July (in the holidays), 26th November and 12th December (in the holidays). These days are appropriate for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Register at www.network.unsw.edu.au ; keyword : Day@ NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY has a parent information night on 18th June. For further information or to RSVP for this event, email sydney@nd.edu.au clearly stating the event that you wish to attend or call 02 8204 4404 and speak to one of the Prospective Student Advisors. There

is also a Careers in Law evening on Wednesday, 12th June at 6pm. Register to attend at www.nd.edu.au/events/2013-06/careers-in-law-evening There is also the opportunity for students to attend a “Day in the Life of a Nursing Student” on Wednesday 3rd July (during the school holidays). Email sydney@nd.edu.au or phone 8204 4404 to RSVP. UTS is holding ENGINEERING AND IT information evenings on 11th June (IT), 25th June (Engineering) and 2nd July (scholarships). All sessions begin at 6 pm. Register online to attend: www.uts.edu.au or phone Elizabeth Kuo on 95142666 for more information. There is also an information evening for the Human Movement and Sport Exercise course at UTS Kuring-gai campus on 4th July at 5.45 pm. Register online at www.uts.edu.au to attend. MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY is holding an information evening for students and parents on 12th June, from 6pm. Register to attend at www.mq.edu.au/parent_info_evening BOND UNIVERSITY (QLD) is offering scholarships to high-achieving students. Online applications are now open, and close on 31st July. Further information is available by emailing scholarships@bond.edu.au. They are also holding an information evening in Sydney for prospective students on 25th June. Contact Terry Crotty on 0417757724 or email tcrotty@bond.edu.au ANU in Canberra is holding an information session on Saturday, 15th June at the Grace Hotel in Sydney. To register to attend, contact student.recruitment@anu.edu.au. TAFE Colleges are having an information day at South Sydney High School on Tuesday 25th June (during our school holidays). Any students (Years 10, 11 or 12) wishing to attend must see me to obtain details regarding the attendance procedure for the day. BILLYBLUE Design College is holding an information evening on 20th June at 6pm. See www.billyblue.edu.au for more information. MACLEAY COLLEGE is holding hands-on industry days for high school students from 2nd to 5th July (in the holidays). These are free, but

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places are limited. Register by email to cbarnsgraham@macleay.edu.au or go to the website www.macleay.edu.au for information. GAP YEAR and alternative schoolies information for students interested in overseas volunteer work experience is available from Projects Abroad: www.projects-abroad.com.au or from Antipodeans Abroad: www.antipodeans.com.au CAREERS WEBSITE: For more information, explore the Careers section on the College website: www.stspyridon.nsw.edu.au Go to “Careers and Elevate” in the top banner of the site. There are about 350 external links to access. If parents have any queries regarding any of the above information, or about courses and careers, I can be contacted from Tuesday to Friday on the school phone number 93113340 or by email ghakos@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au. Students are always welcome to make an interview time with me in the careers office.

Ms G. Hakos Careers Adviser L I S T E N I N G T O O U R S T U D E N T S LEADERSHIP DAY AT NSW PARLIAMENT HOUSE On the 23rd May, Mathew Kambos, Leonidas Andrew and I attended a leadership day for secondary students from various Independent schools around the State. The day included both tours of the NSW Parliament and Government House. We were privileged to see the NSW Parliament, the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly in ‘action’. There were many controversial topics being discussed such as rights for the terminally ill. We were also spoken to by various Ministers and Members of Parliament such as Jillian Skinner who is the Minister for Health and David Elliot who was the Member of Parliament for Baulkham Hills. It was inspiring to hear all the different stories about what led them towards their involvement with their various political parties and also what motivated them to become politicians.

Later that day we were escorted to Government House for a brief session with her Excellency The Governor of NSW, Marie Bashir. We were fortunate enough to hear about her role as Governor and also about how she was appointed for this job. Throughout her address Her Excellency highlighted the constant need for showing respect to all and being respectful as individuals.

Maria Mio Year 12 DRAMA WORKSHOP- ‘Legs On The Wall’ On the 21st May, the Year 9 and 10 elective drama classes took part in a workshop directed by a tutor from the popular physical theatre company ‘Legs On The Wall’. The drama students were very excited to participate in this workshop and had been looking forward to it since the beginning of term. The workshop was filled with many fun exercises and activities, ranging from simple physical theatre stretches and warm-ups, to more difficult acrobatics and creating group performances. The students were not only entertained, but also challenged, as we had to put lots of trust in each other and maintain strong focus. Chrystal Christie in year 9 said, “The acrobatic exercises were interesting, as it showed us that our bodies can do so much more when we work together.” It was a very helpful workshop which taught us lots of skills that we can use in our playbuilding performances in drama. We hope to have another visit from this company in the future so that we

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can further strengthen our skills in physical theatre.

Alexia Rizzo 9S S P O R T S C O L U M N JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT GREEK ORTHODOX SWIMMING CARNIVAL On Tuesday 26th March the Combined Greek Orthodox Swimming carnival took place at Birrong Pools and this year St Euphemia College were the host. The following students were involved: Deahna Simos, Stephanie Augoustis, Johnny Dalakiaris, Christina Vlahos, Steven Stamoulis, Desi Kapodistrias, Vivika Lynch, Frances Lee Pascalis, Nicola Skouteris, Jordan Frazis, Emmanuel Constantopedos, Eleni Haralambides, Michael Vlahos, Anthony Hatzigiakoumis, Dominique Koukos, Jordan Kougias, Marissa Diakoumis, Jonathan Lynch, Connor Giavis, Katherine Tsingos, Nicoletta Tsimboukis, Adriana Drakoulis, Marlon Rallis, Jorge Cooney, Jameson

Gouveros, Paul Giavis, Sia Manos, Sophia Economou, James Cardamis, Anastasia Lambrou, Stefan Gemisis, Juval Mikhail, Spiros Zafiropoulos, Jordan Roumbas, Christian Jenkins, Peter Synesios, Vivienne Hatzigiakoumis and Christina Mazis. RESULTS: BROKEN RECORDS: EVENT NAME NEW TIME 11 Yrs Boys 50m Butterfly

Jordan Frazis

38.97

OVERALL RESULTS: 1st Place St Spyridon College 322 points 2nd Place All Saints Grammar 297 points 3rd Place St Euphemia College 234 points Well done to those involved and a big thank you to the teachers and parents who assisted throughout the day. SSC CROSS COUNTRY TRIALS On Friday 17th May we had our St Spyridon Cross Country Carnival. We made some positive changes to the running of our carnival this year. We ran every age and sex group separately and timed each participant. I would like to thank all the teachers who assisted on the day. Congratulations to the following students who qualified to attend the ASISSA Cross country trials: Sonya Paradisis, Christina Vlahos, Eleni Preketes , Desi Kapodistrias, Stephanie Augoustis, Roza Papas, Katerina Darras-Samaras, Alexi Kounnas, Anna Papas, Nicola Skouteris, Nicoletta Tsimboukis, Dominique Koukos, Angelique Giokas , Vivika Lynch, Anneta Maroulis, Sia Manos, Sophia Economou, Theoni Asproukos, Eleni Haralambides, Lucia Zois, Natasha Bebonis, Connor Giavis, Jonathan Lynch, Manny Giokas, Reece Kalergis, Nicholas Vasilakis, Bill Avdalis, Jordan Frazis, Andrew Papandrew, James Pavlogiannis, Christian Jenkins, Emmanuel Constantopedos, Thomas Mouratidis, Peter Trovas, Valandi Michael, Michael Vlahos, Paul Giavis, Nicholas Michos, Nio Tsakirios, Nicholas Papas, Angus Chellos, Jorge Cooney.

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REGIONAL FUTSAL TOURNAMENT

On the 22nd May we took four teams to the Marrickville Regional Futsal competition, (U10 girls, U10 boys, U12 boys and U12 girls teams).

We had worked very hard preparing for this day, with lots of early morning training sessions. I would like to thank Mr Amditis who coached the boy’s teams with the help of Mr Zafiropoulos from the Senior School. I would also like to thank Mr Knight and Mrs Augoustis for assisting at training and on the day of the tournament.

Fantastic results for our teams! The U12 boys played very well but just missed out in making the semi-finals. The U10 boys made it to the Semi Finals. They lost but nevertheless played very well. A lot of our U10 boys are Year 3 boys who had not played Futsal before so we were pleased with how far they went.

The girls did very well. The U12’s won all the games in their pool, won the semis and lost in the Grand Final. The U10’s won all their games and won the Grand Final!

The girls’ teams will be going to the State Championships at Penrith. The U12 Girls will be playing on Monday 5th August and U10 Girls on Tuesday 6th August.

CIS TOUCH FOOTBALL TRIALS The following students were nominated to attend the CIS Touch Football Trials on Wednesday 29th May: Andrew Papandrew, Stephanie Augoustis and Sonya Paradisis. Congratulations to Stephanie Augoustis for being selected to represent CIS at the PSSA State Competition in Tamworth 13th-15th August. Stephanie has never played touch football before, yet was one of 14 selected out of approximately 60 students. Well done Stephanie! ASISSA CROSS COUNTRY TRIALS On Thursday 30th May we had the ASISSA Cross Country trials at Queens Park. The 8, 9 and 10 year olds ran 2kms and the 11-12 year olds ran 3kms. Congratulations to Paul Giavis who came 1st in his age group!! What an achievement! Nicholas Michos who came 8th also in the 8/9 years age race, to Jordan Frazis who came 8th in the 11yrs race and to Connor Giavis who came 6th in the 12yrs race.

These students will be representing ASISSA in the CIS Cross Country trials on Thursday 6th June. We wish them the best of luck. EATING HEALTHY Students are expected to bring healthy nutritional food to school for recess and lunch. On days where students take part in sport, it is even more important that they are consuming healthy foods that will give them energy. Visiting the canteen at carnivals is not permitted. Hot chips, ice-creams and foods high in fats and sugars are strictly prohibited. Student lunches should consist of sandwiches, fruit and water. Parents can buy food for their child from the canteens after the carnival has finished and their child has been dismissed. SSC SPORTS UNIFORM Students who represent the school at ASISSA or Greek Orthodox carnivals must purchase a white St Spyridon cap for swimming and an Athletics singlet which is used for Athletics, Cross country, Netball, Basketball and AFL. The white swimming cap must also be worn at the school swimming lessons. Students who make ASISSA teams and go on to CIS trials need to purchase the ASISSA uniform which you can purchase from either ASISSA or CIS events. AGE GROUP FOR SPORTING EVENTS In any sporting event students compete in the age group they turn or are turning in the year. For example, if a child was born in 2001 and turned 12 this year or will be turning 12 at some point during the year, they will compete in the 12yrs events. This year we will be adding 8 Year old students to all events starting with the athletics carnival. Usually K-2 participate in their own games at the athletics carnival. They do not take part in any throwing events and they hold their own 50m sprints. This year 8 year old students who are in Year 2 may take part in all the events. We will do the same thing for the Swimming carnival next year. Mrs C. Diavatiotis Sports Convenor

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SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT GIRLS SPORT ISA ROUND 4 The Girls Open Netball team secured a much needed win against St Andrews Cathedral School defeating them 58-33. A brilliant performance from Cassandra Georgiou with her outstanding shooting. Junior C Year 8 girls also defeated St Andrews Cathedral School 48-12 - the improvement shown from this group of girls is remarkable. Junior C Year 7 were unable to secure a win but it was a very competitive match, only losing by 6 points. Open Girls soccer travelled to Chevalier where they produced an outstanding result defeating Chevalier 10-2 an excellent result. The boys Open and 17’s Football teams are to be commended for their presence as supporters at the game. Although a washout round for them they attended in School uniform to show their support for the girls. They most certainly created a positive feeling in the SPACE and a strong sense of school spirit. A much welcomed Mrs Stefanou also motivated the girls to play to their best as she cheered from the sidelines, the girls appreciated her support. Thank you to all teachers/coaches for their continual support for sport each Saturday and special thanks to Mr Zafiropoulos and Mr Kaldis for assisting with the BBQ and their general support for girls sport. Additionally thank you to Ms Gonzalez who has been a tremendous asset to girls sport - both the girls and myself are truly grateful for all your help. ISA ROUND 5 Both Junior teams had a bye so we had only Intermediate C’s and Open girls travel to Central Coast Grammar School. After winning via forfeit last week the girls were eager to play Netball and this was clearly evident on the court securing a comfortable win. Intermediate C girls remain undefeated. Open girls unfortunately were defeated by Central Coast Grammar Schools First Netball Team 55-38.

Open Girls Soccer had a 2-2 draw against Oakhill Grammar School. After a full round completed it is fair to say that each team will be looking to make improvements whether it be to improve fitness, increase concentration and focus or learn the game and skills of netball better. Despite where each team is placing in the competition the main goal is to learn and develop further so that we play to our potential. BOYS SPORT ISA Football news The boy’s football teams are all well placed in the competition at the midway point. Unfortunately Round 4 was a wash out, this gave our boys the opportunity to attend the girls Netball home game and allowed our students the opportunity to create a strong collegial on the day. In round 5 the 13 boys and 15’s were the only two St Spyridon teams competing because of field closures at St Pauls Grammar the other teams had another wash out. The 13 boys were outstanding performing arguably their best defeating Blue Mountains Grammar 5-1. The boys have now had two great consecutive results and are building momentum leading into their last game of the term against Oxley College. Highlights for the boys were Yiannis Lekkas and his exceptional performance in front of goal scoring a hat trick of goals.

In the 15’s the boys travelled to Masons Park in Homebush to compete against St Patricks College,

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the boys have made a very promising start to the season against some very talented opposition this game was no different. In the first half the boys lost the midfield battle and St Patricks high line in defence proved to be difficult to counter. For the first time this year the boys headed to half time on the wrong end of the score, despite this the boys rallied in the second half spurred on by a more determined and focussed approach the boys maintained possession and managed to keep shape levelling the score with 10 minutes remaining through Aaron-Paul Kostantakis. The collective effort of all the boys in the second period helped them to achieve a deserving result.

Round 6 will be played on the 15th June at Bowral against Oxley College. There is no scheduled game for the long weekend. An email will be circulated to all parents/guardians who provided one during the registration process. REPRESENTATIVE FOOTBALL On Tuesday 28th May three Year 12 boys competed at the CIS Championships at Meadowbank Park, West Ryde. The boys included Nicholas Fotopoulos, Christopher Kolistasis and James Andrew. The contest was not about winning alone but rather performing to be selected in the CIS team to compete at the NSW All Schools Championships. With 5 associations represented and over 70 boy’s trialling the task of making the team was always going to be difficult. Our boys were outstanding in representing themselves and their College. Their performances on the field were very good and the boys deserve to be commended. James Andrew made the final team, with Christopher Kolistasis making it as a shadow player. We often underestimate the magnitude of this accolade, selection in these teams is not easy and James in particular has

made a habit of achieving success at this level. This will be his second consecutive year in the CIS team, we wish him all the best in the upcoming tournament at Seymore Shaw centre 17-18th June. Last year James was selected as a shadow player in the All Schools team, and no doubt James will be looking to try and force his way in the starting team this year. Congratulations to all our Year 12 boys, always aspiring and striving to set the right example for the boys in our younger years.

  

  STUDENT PROFILE – Alex Vij Year 11 student, Alex Vij, has always been into extreme sport, be it snow board jumps or back flips in bungy jumping. He is called the Karate Kid due to winning many titles at State and National contests in martial arts. Having

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competed in New Zealand and England, he has also won six international titles. For two years, Alex has trained junior students and judged at contests. So, he has had to reduce participation in competition, yet still gets remarkable results. After practical experience, seminars and formal examinations, Alex was accepted as a judge/referee at the 2012 AMAC (Australian Martial Arts Championship) National Titles at Sydney on 17 and 18 November 2012. Being a judge and competitor in one event was an action packed time, Alex truthfully described as “awesome”. Alex has won the coveted first place in full contact sparring for males under 18 and over 65 kg. Slim but with lean muscle, and fast reflexes, Alex also won first in sumo in his division. On the weekend, he also made the top score for his team of NSW in the State of Origin playoff. AMAC offers athletes across styles of martial arts a chance to compete. Events include showmanship (individual and synchronized displays) and grappling. Martial arts are a growing sport offering intense excitement for competitors and audiences. As there is more to life than sport, Alex has worked for three years and gained an Industry Certificate 3 in Hospitality outside school hours (one level above industry accredited HSC courses). Alex has a history of community service, especially in support of the Drug Free Ambassadors Campaign. In 2010, he helped install water tanks and audio visual equipment in the village of Huatata, Peru. Over Christmas 2012 Alex broke his neck in a car crash but plans to get his black belt this September. It will be a gruelling task, including forty short rounds of full contact sparring over several hours. He was declared Interclub Senior Champion for 2012 in his chosen style of karate, Kyokushin (meaning “Ultimate Truth”). His master, Sempai Shah Yussof, (T: 0414 777 251) notes that though Alex has often won in competition against black belt holders. Kyokushin students cannot grade for a black belt until at least 16 or 17 years of age

(when some physical and mental maturity is attained). On 2 March, Alex received a Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin Youth Achievers Award, for contributions to karate. Resuming karate in March 2013 (after time off and chiropractic care) Alex won three titles (all 1st places) in the 2013 International Federation of Kyokushin Karate Association (IFKKA) Australian Titles on 19 May. On 25 May, he qualified for this year’s AMAC State Titles (winning three trophies in the trial). Alex plays Goal Keeper for St Spyridon in the U17 boys team representing the school in the ISA competition. He is one of our many students who have found success in persistence.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL This year the school will be having the annual Athletics Carnival at Hensley Athletic Track on Thursday, 25th July.  All students are reminded that this is a normal school day. All students are reminded that this event is used to select an athletics team to participate in the ISA Athletics Carnival to be held later in Term 3. This year age champions will be awarded to students who manage to accumulate the least points over two events - the school carnival and the ISA athletics carnival. It is also expected that students who make the school squad be available to train twice a week after school for 1 ½ hours. Ms K. O’Shea (Girls Sport) and Mr F. Kaldis (Boys Sport

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PREFECTS PAGE

Name: Stephanie Pizanis Age: 17 Year: 12 No. Years at St. Spyridon College: 13 Subjects currently studying: English Advanced, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Mathematics,

Food Technology, Hospitality Hobbies: Listening to music, shopping, hanging with friends and family Favourite Sports Teams: Sydney Roosters Best School Achievements: Becoming Sports Captain and Prefect 2013 Favourite Quote: “When one door closes another opens. But often we look so long so

regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us” Helen Keller

Role Models: Mother, Father, Sisters and Grandmother

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