Education in the Great Outdoors

There's no rest for the Outdoor Education students at Forest Hill College!  On the first week of term, they packed their bags, prepared their tents and rugged up for a three-day hiking trip to Wilson's Promontory.  The scenery was amazing, even if the weather wasn't quite as kind - the intrepid group of students was subjected to pouring rain as well as warming sunshine.  Over the three days, they put into practice all the skills they had learnt throughout the year... as well as having a lot of fun along the way!

Zoning in on gold

Building on our recent success at District Athletics, College students have climbed to even greater heights at the Eastern Zone Athletics.  We sent twenty-three of our finest students to compete against the best from other schools and they achieved outstanding results.  Overall, our students won eleven medals, six of which were first place.  This means we are sending six students on to compete at the state championships later in the month.

Congratulations to Bridget, Samantha, Rebekah, Rachael, Chelsea and Tom and good luck when you next compete!

Sew Creative

Throughout the year, our textiles students have been learning how to make patterns, studying designers and working out how to turn the creative ideas into their heads into wearable reality.  Now it's time for College textiles students to put all of those skills into practice and to showcase their talents for all to see!

From frilly, flirty aprons to fantastic feathered hats; from baby clothes to gorgeous dresses for the formal - textiles students at the College are capable of making anything they put their minds to!

Final Assembly for Term Three

The final assembly for term three was spectacular!  It was a delight to welcome so many parents and family to the assembly as they joined us in celebrating our students' achievements throughout the term.  Students received certificates for their success in areas as diverse as atheltics, debating, music and the Premier's Reading Challenge.  Along the way, we were treated to performances from one of the many College orchestras, the VCE dance students and the Green Tribe puppeteers, who reprised their amazing act from Rhythm Nation.  There were so many things to celebrate that it's a miracle we managed to fit it all into one assembly!

Pulling Ahead of the Pack

The District Athletics Carnival was held on the 3rd of September and the College sent along a contingent of able and talented athletes to compete.  And compete they did, with great pride and enthusiasm.  They were an absolute tribute to the College and we are incredibly proud of them and how they behaved on the day.  Many students received first, second and third placings in their events and their combined efforts ensured that we came second over-all, despite having fewer students than many of the other, larger schools present.

Congratulations to the students and teachers involved on the day!  Your efforts are a true credit to the College.

Fishy Times at the Aquarium

On the 2nd of September, the Year 11 chemistry and biology classes headed into the city for a day of inspiring and interactive learning.  Students headed to the aquarium where they learned about life underwater, as well as having the chance to get close to some ocean life (including a rather cute shark!).  By far the most popular aspect of the aquarium visit was the penguin enclosure, which was generally agreed to be the cutest thing ever.  As one student said, "It was helpful to learn about the relationships between organisms," shortly before expressing a desire to take one of the incredibly cute penguins home with them.

Students also carried out tests, learning how to measure the pH of water samples.  After their tour of the hidden, back areas of the aquarium, they made their way to the Yarra where they put their new-found pH testing skills into practice with some fascinating results.

Cisco Success!

Forest Hill College consolidated its consistent success in Cisco competitions at the recent Victorian Cisco Skills Competition held at Box Hill TAFE.  The three teams from the College's well-established course threw themselves whole-heartedly into the competition and were rewarded with first, third and seventh place.  It was a close competition, with the College's first-place team finishing just under a minute ahead of their nearest competitors.

The College's Cisco programme attracts students from secondary schools near and far and is making a habit of achieving high placements in Cisco competitions.  Well done to the students and staff involved and may your success continue!

The Holocaust Museum: an Encounter with Human History

On the 1st of September, Year 11 students visited the Holocaust Museum - an excursion arranged by the English department to complement the students' study of Elie Wiesel's memoir Night.  It was a moving experience for the students as they listened to accounts of Jewish people who survived the Jewish Holocaust of World War Two.  They were even able to talk to a survivor and hear her stories of staying alive during this traumatic time.

"Seeing all of those pictures on the walls was moving and horrible at the same time," students said.  "We don't want this ever to happen to anyone again."

Trivia Night makes a real IMPACT...

IMPACT's second trivia night was held on the 8th of September in the Senior Library, with teams from years 9, 10, 11 and 12 challenging each other to find out who knows the most about EVERYTHING!  Staff members were in on the fun, too, rotating from table to table to lend their expertise to the answers.

There was a suspenseful game of corners, as well as some dancing, impromptu singing and a great deal of enjoyment.  The scores were so close at the end that the there was a margin of only two points between first and second place.  The Dwight Army of Champions narrowly scraped ahead of the Mighty Dux in the deciding round of Guess the Clinker Colour.

We hope to see you all there next year!

South Street to success

For the first time in seven years, Forest Hill College students have entered the Royal South Street music competitions, venturing out to Ballarat in order to compete against other secondary schools from around the state.  Students and staff have practised hard in preparation for this week and their efforts have been rewarded!  Many proud students have returned to the College wearing bronze and silver medals won in various categories such as duets, solos and ensembles.

Congratulations to the students on your successes!  Congratulations also to Ms. Morrow and her team of amazing music teachers, whose well-established instrumental music program has produced these talented students.

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