‘In Knowledge there
is Opportunity’
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Priority Focus Wellness
Right now as the Principal of this remarkable school I am
reminded that the simplest things in life are actually the most
important. In times of extended disruption and sadness it is
critical to pause and sharpen our focus to ensure that we care
for our community.
To do this at Phoenix we will be working with the National
Headspace Team to build the capacity of all staff to have
shared language for health and wellness, to boost help seeking
strategies in all members of the community and invest in
resilience. All staff will be involved in professional learning
with this focus on wellness. This will then be amplified with
further support for students and families, through the
investment in addition of an extra Social Worker, our Family
Support Worker as well as our now considerable Tutor team.
It is my hope that this period of lockdown is not extended and
that we are able to return to face-to-face learning. As we
prepare to do this I ask that you remind your children that
they are amazing and remarkable young people; that you also
take the time tell them they can get through this just like they
have before. Please also remember that it is important that
we stay strong as a community, that we are in this together
and that things will get better.
Remember it is okay to do the following:
− Communicate honestly and openly about the health
and wellbeing.
− Encourage your child to think and act with gratitude,
kindness and empathy.
− As COVID-19 continues, it makes sense to limit how
much access to the media your children have and if
they are becoming fixated on the news switch it off.
− Continue to reassure your children that things will get
better.
− Try to minimise the inconvenience of ‘new normal’
expectations such as QR coding in.
− As much as possible stick to regular routines like doing
a reader, doing family activities, maintaining bedtimes
etc.
− Remember our children will make sense of the world
based on what they see the adults in their world doing;
we are their models.
July 2021, Issue 7
− Let your children ask questions and answer as
accurately as you can.
Finally, if as a result of COVID-19 your child needs any
assistance with materials for school, uniform, shoes,
stationery – anything at all, please make contact with us so we
can support you. We do not want any Phoenix student to be
disadvantaged by the continuation of the pandemic.
Mrs Karen Snibson—Principal
MIDDLE/SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT
Luckily, I left this Newsletter write-up until the last minute. If I
had completed it last week, much of it would now be out of
date. We find ourselves in a brief lockdown and the main thing
I want to say is: CONGRATULATIONS! The whole school – staff,
students and parents – has transitioned to remote and flexible
learning in a calm and understanding manner. On Thursday,
we heard that masks were back on. And they were. Students
just got on with the business of being responsible and safe.
When we received the hint that a possible lockdown was
looming, even though we had no details, students and staff
quickly got on with the business of being prepared. We have
all learned to be prepared, flexible and ready. That makes us
one of the smartest learning cohorts ever! Congratulations!
All that aside, there is so much else to celebrate and
congratulate! Our students in Years 9 and 10 are preparing to
move into their Senior Years of education. They are currently
researching career pathways and considering the subjects they
will complete to meet their goals. I encourage all students in
Years 9 and 10 to talk to friends, relatives, teachers and
Careers Coordinators about their experiences with different
careers. A reminder when selecting subjects; choose what is
best for you and your goals. Your friends will always be there,
even if they’re in different classes.
The end of Term 2 saw Year 9’s organising some successful
fundraising events. The Canteen was full of food and prizes at
the Phoenix Connect Fair and it was all to raise funds and
awareness for worthy causes. We know we are creating great
human beings when time is spent trying to help others.
Staff have been busy this term also. For about 2 years, the
whole school staff have been focussing on ways we can
improve writing. We all know that writing plays an important
role in many jobs and careers. It also helps us develop and
maintain relationships, learn about things and communicate
our needs. It’s great to see the explicit teaching of writing play
a key role in all subjects. Ask your child/student about the
writing they do in different classes.
$5,000 of our $20,000 goal for Fiona Elsey Cancer Research
Institute. With our Year 11 Health Expo and the Year 12 Purple
Festival happening in the next few weeks, keep your eyes
open for opportunities to get involved and see how
EXCELLENT our VCAL students are!

There are so many things to celebrate – at times we take them
for granted. Students have been involved in inter-school sport,
preparing for camps and debating, presenting to the Asian/
Australian Health Association about the implications of COVID-
19, eating Chinese food at local restaurants, building cubbies,
tables and outdoor classrooms for students across the school
to use, rehearsing for the upcoming production of Legally
Blonde…and the list goes on.
Every time I write one of these Newsletter entries, I am
amazed by all we/you do and the many reasons I have to say
Congratulations! I’ll leave you with my favourite quote that
inspires me to do things I am scared to do: “A bird sitting on a
tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is
not on the branch but on its own wings. Always believe in
yourself."
Ms Angela Quinn —Assistant Principal
VET
As subject selection nears, it’s time to start thinking about VET
courses for 2022. We are so lucky to have such a wide range of
VET courses offered both here at Phoenix and through key
training organisations in the Ballarat community like
Federation University, ACU and The Gordon. VET is an
excellent way to access industry qualifications and experience
while completing either the VCAL or VCE certificates. Some of
the courses students are enrolled in this year are:
Sport and Recreation, Building and Construction, Music
Performance, Hospitality (Kitchen Operations), Hairdressing,
Engineering, Furniture Making, Community Services, Animal
Studies, Retail Cosmetics, Automotive, Agriculture and so
many more!
If you would like some more information about VET and
available courses for 2022, please encourage your student to
see Miss Cox in the Senior School office or contact via email.
Applications for VET for 2022 open soon and now is a great
time to start asking questions and enquiring about how VET
could contribute to both the VCAL and VCE pathways.
SWL
As a result of the 5 day lockdown, SWL is currently on pause.
More information will be communicated as restrictions
change. Please contact Miss Cox for more information.
Miss Laura Cox—VCAL/VET Coordinator

VCAL/VET REPORT
We have some big news in VCAL/VET this semester and are
very excited to introduce our new VCAL/VET Coordinator
Laura Cox!
Hi all! My name is Laura Cox and I am
excited to let you know that I have just
taken over as the new VCAL/VET
Coordinator. I have worked in the VCAL
team previously and really love the
program and the opportunities that it gives
our students. I have been at Phoenix for 5 years and over this
time I have taught all year levels and in many of our different
learning areas, and even accompanied students to China in
2019. I am very excited to work with the wonderful VCAL/VET
students, staff and parents/guardians for the remainder of
2021.

VCAL
Lots of really great projects happening in VCAL at the moment,
with our Year 12 Community Impact projects having reached LATEST FACILITY UPGRADES
 at Phoenix P-12 Community College in 2022. You will receive
PLEASE KEEP US ALL SAFE - COVID-19 TRACKING IS A MUST SMS messages to confirm your appointment time.
When you visit the College at any time please bring your Arrangements will depend of course on COVID-19 restrictions
mobile phone and register with QR Tracking code in the foyer. and modifications to approved processes. Please make sure
If you do not have a mobile phone please register manually. you have followed the process and completed the enrolment
preference process through your Primary School. Notifications
COMPASS PORTAL: https:\\phoenix.vic.compass.education
will be sent out through your current Primary School. Please
COMPASS is vital for communication with the College and
keep your eye out for information and make sure you attend
keeping abreast of what is happening. It is our primary
your interview when scheduled to ensure placement. Further
communication channel so please make sure you are
information about the process is being distributed through
connected. All families should have information about
your Primary School.
COMPASS and their family login details. If you cannot
access or login to your COMPASS account, please BOOKLISTS 2022
contact the General Office and the staff will be able to Just an early reminder to all families to start their financial
assist you. planning for booklists. The year is slipping away and it is a
great time to think about planning for having to pay up front
CONTACT WITH THE COLLEGE - URGENT MESSAGES
for your booklists in November. The process will be the same
If you have an urgent message for your child, please call the
as was introduced last year:
General Office telephone number 5329 3293 – Option 1 for
Year Prep – Year 6 will be purchasing booklists via the QRK
the Sebastopol Campus and Option 2 for the Redan Campus.
(Canteen Ordering App) with the supplier being BOLTONS.
The Absence Hotline is for Absences only and your message
National One Stationery. Book pack will be paid for via QKR
may not be picked up in time.
and in the classrooms on the first day of school 2022.
THE FINANCIALS—FAMILY STATEMENTS Year 7 – 12 Booklists will again be online via the link to
Thank you to the families who have read and checked them Campions, with payment required at time of ordering.
and either paid balances or made payments towards the Consider using Saver plus to help with costs!
outstanding balances, or contacted us to clarify any questions
or set up payment plans. Payment is due for invoices on the
statements, and new invoices will continue to be emailed out
at the time of activities and excursions. We are happy to
receive regular weekly or fortnightly deposits into your family
accounts. Cash, EFTPOS, Centrepay or BPAY are welcome. If
you need to have a chat about a plan please pop into the
General Office and see Lorraine.

QKR! OUR CANTEEN APP

The instruction of the Qkr! App for ordering and paying for
Canteen lunches has been a great success. If your family is a
regular user of the Canteen, this is a great way to organise
lunches. Download the Qkr! App on your mobile phone and
follow the prompts. There is a ‘How To Chart’ posted
at the back of the Newsletter. If you need help please
do not hesitate to contact the General Office.

2022 ENROLMENT PROCESS - UPDATE PREP 2022

Families enrolling their child for Prep 2022 should have
already either had a telephone interview or have one
scheduled with BJ Overstead. If you are intending to enrol a
Prep 2022 and have not been involved in the process please
call the General Office to make sure your child is included in
the transition and orientation process. SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING
YEAR 7 2022 ENROLMENTS The next meeting of our College Council scheduled for July has
Year 7 2022 enrolments are being finalised this month. to be postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Further details
At this stage we will be running our Enrolment 2022 Year 7 will be circulated via email.
intake interviews via telephone appointment during the last Ms Lorraine Hayes—Business Manager
three weeks of Term 3 for all new Year 7 families commencing
 PATHWAYS & CAREERS NEWS
Welcome back to Term 3! Our focus in the MIPs office this
term will be to ensure that all our
Year 12 VCE & VCAL students have a positive plan in place for
2022.
We have commenced our 1:1 interviews with our Year 12 VCE
students and will be having discussions around the VTAC
process which will open on August 2nd. This is where students
intending on going to University will put in their intended
course options and also apply for any special considerations
through SEAS.
The 4 SEAS criteria for consideration are:
− Personal information & location (ALL
STUDENTS WILL TICK YES TO THIS ONE)
− Disadvantaged financial background (CHECK IF
YOUR PARENT RECIEVES ANY FAMIILY TAX A OR B OR
BOTH)
If yes, Document of proof needs to be uploaded
− Disability or medical condition
If yes to either of these, a support person will be
required to back up your evidence
− Difficult Circumstances
If yes, a support person will be required to back up
your evidence
Conversations with our Year 12 VCAL students will be around
TAFE, Employment and Apprenticeship/Traineeship options for
2022. If your son or daughter is aware now of what they are
looking for, please let MIPs know so we can keep them in mind
as opportunities arise. If your son/daughter have not already
applied for their TAX file number they should do so now
online. https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/tax-file-number/
apply-for-a-tfn/
All Year 12’s should ensure that their Resume is up to date.
Check mobile and email details are correct and that referees
are current. Always let your referees know of any interview
you may have coming up so they are aware and can expect a
call. If you should have any questions about your future plans
please come and speak with MIPS.
We congratulate the following students who have left to post
school pathways:
Cameron Grant Employment
Sam Wilson-Doyle Apprenticeship
Tayla Hetherington Employment
Ricky Hodges Apprenticeship
Daniel Knight Employment
Zeke Almond Employment
Jack Perry Apprenticeship
Nicholas Watts Apprenticeship
Anxiety and all Things Worry Related.
Anxiety is a normal part of being human. Anxiety helps
keep us safe and tell us when things aren’t quite right.
Sometimes, anxiety can help us perform better by helping
us feel alert and motivated. In moderate, predictable and
regular doses, it can help us develop resilience and provide
a wonderful boost to self-esteem when we finally
overcome that task, activity or phone call we’ve been
avoiding!
Physical signs of anxiety can include:
racing heart
faster breathing
feeling tense or having aches (especially neck,
shoulders and back)
sweating or feeling dizzy
shaking
‘butterflies’ or feeling sick in the stomach.
Thoughts can include:
worrying about things a lot of the time
feeling like your worries are out of control
having trouble concentrating and paying attention
worries that seem out of proportion.
Other signs can include:
being unable to relax
avoiding people or places like school or parties
withdrawing from family and friends
feeling annoyed, irritated or restless
difficulty getting to sleep at night or waking up a lot
during the night.
Things you can do to look after yourself:
Care for yourself – Get enough sleep, eat well, stay
hydrated,
Talk about it – Connecting and being validated can be
wonderful, talk to someone you trust,
Exercise – Even some light stretching can burn out
nervous energy we collect,
Keep it real – Set realistic expectations for yourself and
your work, don’t overload yourself,
Be nice to yourself – Treat yourself like you’re worth it
and don’t sweat mistakes!
Anxiety can come and go. However, if anxiety overwhelms
our ability cope, impacts our ability to engage in activities
we normally enjoy and generally hinders us, it might be
time to do something about. Reach out to your local GP or
Headspace for more information.
Kenneth Anthony Alfred Spedding
Mental Health Practitioner
Educational and Developmental Psychology Registrar
AHPRA: PSY0002163048a
 ACADEMY OF SPORT
Academy of Sport Athlete Development Workshop – Kelsey
Weight and Andrew Hooper
Thanks to all of our families who attended the guest speaker
workshop on athlete development.
Kelsey spoke about her experience working in elite sport with
athletes who require nutrition advice, and shared her tips for
fuelling and hydrating youth athletes for sports performance.
Andrew shared his journey as a Sebastopol College graduate,
professional athlete, football coach and school staff member.
He spoke about the importance of building relationships, a
willingness to do your best, and being a dedicated student
athlete.
Staff vs Academy of Sport Games Week 10
A massive thank you to all the staff who played in the netball
and basketball games at lunchtime in Term 2. The matches
were of high standard and there was lots of support from stu-
dents who came in at lunchtime to watch. The academy stu-
dents appreciate your support.
MYLNS at Phoenix
The Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy
Support (MYLNS) initiative provides
intensive teaching support to Government
secondary school students who are at risk of
finishing school without the literacy and
numeracy skills they need for future work,
education and training.
This initiative gives students additional
teaching support to improve their literacy
and numeracy. Literacy and Numeracy
Improvement Teachers work directly with
students and to build the capability of other
teachers to improve the literacy and
numeracy of students at their school.
In 2021 Mrs Beddoe and Mrs Strybosch are
the Literacy Improvement Teachers and
Miss Morrissey and Ms Ebbs are the
Numeracy Improvement Teachers. More
than fifty students in Years 8 and 10 are
being supported in small groups in and
outside of the classroom to work on their
own literacy and numeracy goals.
Government funding for the initiative will
continue in 2022 where the focus will be on
students in Years 8, 9 and 10.
The BRAVE Program is an online program for the treatment of
anxiety in young people. It was developed by a team of
researchers from the University of Queensland, Griffith
University and the University of Southern Queensland and has
been specifically designed to teach young people the skills
they need to reduce anxiety and to cope with stressful
situations.
The BRAVE Program is based on Cognitive-Behavioural
Therapy (CBT) and has been running in Australia for over 13
years. Therapy techniques used in this program include:
relaxation training, identification of emotions and thoughts,
positive self-talk, coping skills, problem solving and graded
exposure.
The BRAVE Program was converted into a self-directed therapy
program (BRAVE Self-Help), which is now freely available to all
Australian young people, aged 8-17 years old and their
parents. The program is suitable for all types of anxiety. There
are four different programs available: One for children aged 8-
12 years, one for teenagers aged 12-17 years and one for
parents of children and teenagers of these age groups,
respectively.
To learn more visit https://brave4you.psy.uq.edu.au/
 Ball arat Lawn Tennis Club
The Ballarat Lawn Tennis Club, in conjunction with the Bu-
ninyong Tennis Association, is excited to announce two junior
tennis competitions that are being developed this year to take
place over Autumn, on a Saturday morning 9:00am to
10:30am during Term 2 of the school year.

These will be ladder-based competitions and not a team-based

competition. Singles and doubles will be played. The games
will take place at Ballarat Lawn and at Buninyong. B and C
grade will alternate between Buninyong and BLTC each week.

Each week BLTC will be hosting 9–11-year olds who are

starting comp or have been playing and/or having coaching
and 7–10 year old begin-
ners who are just starting
match play or having coach-
ing.
Please contact Jenny Jolliffe
0408 735 068 to enquire
and/or register.

Help Support the Redan Campus

Kitchen/Garden Program
For the month of July,
Phoenix will have a jar at
Grill’d Ballarat to Support
the Kitchen and Garden
Program at the Redan
Primary Campus. For every
order you make you will
receive Token to put in the
jar. Whichever program
receives the most tokens
will win $300 for their
program.

Sebastopol Junior Football Netball Club

Come to a family friendly environment. We are excited
to offer your children an opportunity to flourish in a
family oriented club. All ages and skill level players
welcome.

Sebastopol Football Netball Club is located in Burnett

Street Sebastopol, straight off Albert Street.
Please forward your enquires to
Jeff Mihel 0412 505 171
or Narelle Cromb 0417 380 117.

We look forward to hearing from

you...GO BURRA!
We have a great club atmosphere
and believe in building from
within...UP THE BURRA!
Australian Geography Competition
Congratulations to all students who participated in this
year’s Australian Geography Competition! The Australian
Geography Competition is a contest for Australian
secondary school students, assessing their geographical
knowledge and skills. Its purpose at Phoenix is to reward
student excellence, passion and interest in Geography and
to develop recognition of our Geography students and
teachers!
All students who entered the Competition received
certificates, but particular recognition should go to the
following students, who achieved a Distinction or higher.
Dylan Worthy, William Kynoch, Heather Arthur, Nikodem
Kazmierczak, Devon Matthews-Wood, Sean Lucey, Nash
Casey and Aston Brownbill.
An incredible achievement by Dylan Worthy for ranking in
the top 1% of Australia in his Year 9 age group!
Year 7 Academic Achievers^
Year 9 students^
Learn about the latest games, apps and social media,
including how to protect your information and report
inappropriate content.
More coming soon!
https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-
issues/esafety-guide
YEAR 10 PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE
We had a wonderful group of Year 10 students
participate in a public speaking Health challenge that
was run by the ASHA Lectures Group and Rotary.
Students were competing against teams from Loreto
and Ballarat and Clarendon College.
The challenge required students to research the
science behind COVID, collect some data and develop
a solution to COVID hotel quarantine issues. Students
then created a 10-15 minute presentation which they
then presented to a panel of judges, including Rotary
and respected community member, Carmel West and
local medical specialist, Dr Deepika Monga.
Our Phoenix students did a great job and presented in
an informed manner with a hint of humour along the
way! Our students placed 2nd out of four teams which
was an amazing effort.
If you see the following students around, please
congratulate them on their efforts:
• Jesse Somers
• Catriona Harricks
• Savannah Douglas
• Macy Anwyl
• Temujin Blake
It was so pleasing (but not surprising because Phoenix
students are awesome) to hear the wonderful things
both Carmel and Dr Monga had to say about the
quality of our students’ work. Both ladies said how
impressed they were and hope to continue to be
involved with wonderful young Phoenix students in
the future.
Special thanks to Ange Quinn for coming along to
support the students and to Will Matthews for going
above and beyond by staying overtime and helping
with all things tech, not just for our students but also
to students from other schools too.
 How to download the Qkr! App

Lunchtime Activities
WHEN WHAT WHERE WHO
More information on clubs and programs can be found in the Bonshaw Open Space, along with sign up sheets for activities that require it.

MONDAY STRENGTH CLUB WEIGHTS GYM MR LAYTON

MINECRAFT A70 MRS JOOSTEN
PHOENIX UNPLUGGED
CANTEEN MR SHEEHAN
(WEEKS 5 & 9)
SENIOR CHOIR HUB MR MORGAN
TUESDAY MEDIA CLUB V20 KIRBY LEE
TEXTILES / CRAFT CLUB K30 MS CHAN
BOX-FIT GYM – COURT 2 MR LAYTON
CUPPA-TEA W/ MISS E Z80 MISS EBERLE
WEDNESDAY STRENGTH CLUB WEIGHTS GYM MR CARTER
CHESS CLUB LRC MRS GIRI
BASKETBALL 3v3 GYM – COURT 1 MR KNAGGS
THURSDAY ROBOTICS Z90 MR NICHOLS
DRAMA CLUB THEATER MRS WEBSTER
FUTSAL 4v4 GYM – COURT 2 MR KNAGGS
FRIDAY STRENGTH CLUB WEIGHTS GYM MR POWELL
LEGO MASTERS LRC MISS FENTON
ENGLISH DEPART-
WRITING CLUB P40
MENT
 2021 CALENDAR
Doctor in School Program
Dr Kathryn Oliver and a practice nurse are on site every
Wednesday morning. Dr Oliver is available for all general August
health needs. These sessions are bulk billed, that means no 18th Year 7 Immunisations/
expense to you. All that is required is a current Medicare
Year 10 Catch up day
card. Please contact Lorraine Firth, School Nurse for
bookings. 22nd-27th Book Week
27th Book Week Dress up
day

September
17th End of Term 3
BREAKFAST CLUB
The Club runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday on the Senior
October
Campus (Canteen) and Tuesday/Thursday on the Redan Cam- 4th Start of Term 4
pus (Art Room).

Breakfast starts at 8.15am and is

available for

ALL STUDENTS!

We have cereals, breads, juice,

and milo! See you there!

Helpful Parent Information

https://www.dove.com/au/dove-self-esteem-project.html

Phoenix P-12 Community College

PO Box 49 Sebastopol VIC 3356
P: (03) 5329 3293
phoenix.p12.cc@education.vic.gov.au

At Phoenix we have a zero tolerance attitude to violence and aggression of any form to staff and
others. We build a thriving community by working positively together to educate our children.