Next Week @TC

15/03/2024

• Traffic information for Entry Camp departures Monday and Wednesday

• School Hoodie Update

• Chickenpox alert

• TC College Council AGM This Thursday

• Student Parent Teacher Interview Bookings are Open

• TCNEWS - IWD @ TC

Traffic Information for Entry Camp departures Monday and Wednesday

Entry camp departs next week. Students and Families will be meeting/arriving at S-wing. Departure times (Mon 9am | Wed 8:30am). Entry families can park on the oval. Traffic out of front gates will be stopped when buses depart. We highly recommend avoiding the school driveway for drop off on Monday morning.

school hoodie update

Families that purchased TC hoodies and sweaters at the end of last year the order is on its way. Unfortunately it is later than expected but we hope they are at TC and distributed to students by the end of term. Thank you for your patience.

Chickenpox alert  

We have recently received notification that a student at TC has been diagnosed with chickenpox.  This is a limited case, but it is important for you to be aware of the symptoms for chickenpox.  Chickenpox usually begins with:  • Fever. • Fatigue.  • Loss of appetite. • Followed by a generalised rash a day or so later and starts as itchy red spots but rapidly progresses to blisters.

A person is infectious from two days prior to the onset of the rash until the blisters have all crusted into scabs, usually about five days after they appear All students/staff infected should remain at home until all chicken pox spots have crusted over to avoid further spread of the illness.  Should any child return to school before this time, parents will be contacted and asked to collect them and take them back home.

Groups of people who are most at risk of serious problems if they catch chicken pox are newborn babies, pregnant women, and those with a weakened immune system, therefore it is important, if your child has chicken pox, to keep them at home while they are contagious.

Should you require any additional information, click on this link

Should you feel that you need to seek medical attention please contact your doctor and let them know of your suspicions prior to your appointment.

TC College Council AGM This Thursday

As stated in previous weeks, the TC College Council AGM is this Thursday, starting at 6pm online. Please go to Compass to find the link to this meeting.

Student Parent Teacher Interview Bookings are Open

Information was released through Compass on being able to book these. At the time of release, 2581 bookings have been made.

International Women's Day at TC

March 8th is a day dedicated to celebrating women honouring their achievements and advocating for women’s rights. The day focuses on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence against women. It's celebrated with lots of purple and green. Purple symbolises justice and dignity, combined with green which signifies hope, the two represent the feminist movement.

This year the theme for 2024's International Women's Day was, "Inspire Inclusion”  to take action and break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where all women are valued and respected. Protests, charity runs, art exhibitions and online activity across social media are just some of the ways this remarkable day is celebrated. 

This campaign started in  1910, when a woman named Clara Zetkin proposed that every year, in every country there should be a celebration on the same day, A Women's Day, to press for their rights & demands. A conference was held with over 100 women from 17 countries they all welcomed Zetkin's proposition with unanimous approval and International Women's Day was the outcome. Then in 1928, Australia held its first International Women’s Day celebration in Sydney women from all around gathered and protested and campaigned for equal pay for equal work and paid leave.

How did TC celebrate this historical day? Michelle Parker organized a free coffee event for all female staff members. Some Connect classes participated in activities such as writing gratitude letters to influential women and were encouraged to reflect on the value these women have in their lives.

Ryan Griffith, the teacher in charge of Connect, mentioned that 

"Connect is about building relationships, fostering a sense of belonging at school, as well as learning about social justice and the world from the perspective of being global citizens. As important world events and celebration days roll around, we often spend some time in Connect exploring the significance of these days. International Women's Day (IWD) is an important day on our calendar for so many reasons. In Connect this year, groups were encouraged to learn about the origins and significance of IWD through videos and discussion as well as activities such as gratitude letter writing where students wrote letters to women in their life. Connect is a space where we can revisit these topics throughout the year and provide a space where everyone can have a voice."

It was great to see the TC communities participate in IWD activities and show commitment towards creating a more inclusive and equitable world.

The occasion not only enabled us to observe the achievements of women but also to discuss crucial issues that often go unnoticed during regular classes. 

By Ruby Egan-Douglas
TC Journalist

Last Weeks Announcements

• Building Works - an update

• TC College Council AGM

• Parents Onsite

• Student Free Days/Days with classes not running onsite

• TC Entry Parent Talk & Chat, Tea & Coffee

• Manningham Youth Services

Building Works – An Update

We have the following to update you on the various projects taking place around the school:

• C Wing Toilets are now open! This gives us back 8 all gender toilets as part of the Department of Education led program.

• Ramps around the school – the ramp work at the front entrance is now complete. There are also currently projects taking place between A Wing and the Canteen, and at the PAC. Soon work will begin at the side of the school near the Oval and at the Sports Centre.

• Eaves re-instatement – this is ongoing following on from the Asbestos removal that took place in the holidays.

• Sports Centre Mural - now installed

• New Aviary - now officially opened

TC College Council AGM

Notice is hereby given for the TC College Council AGM taking place on Thursday 21st March 2024, starting at 6pm. This is an open meeting that we have decided to hold online again this year. You can access the event by clicking on the link found on the relevant news item on Compass.

The agenda is:

1. Acknowledgment of Country (Claire O’Sullivan)

2. Report of Key Activities and Achievements of College Council (Claire O’Sullivan/Peter Ellis)

3. Presentation of Annual Report
   a. School Context - Peter Ellis
   b. Wellbeing and Engagement - Katrina Katz
   c. Achievement – Adam Cribbes
   d. Finance - Iona Hayes

4. Introduction of the 2024 – 2025 College Council members

5. Meeting closes

Parents Onsite

Just a friendly reminder that any parents coming onsite need to go to the General Office and sign in before being accompanied to where they are going. We do this for the safety of all of our students and Community in line with our Child Safe Practices.

Student Free Days/Days when Classes are not running onsite

For those unaware, we do not run classes on our student parent teacher interviews. With our staff spending the whole two days meeting with students and their parents, they are not available to teach classes. A fully allotted member of staff has up to 125 students to meet with over two days.

For those looking to plan ahead, we have the following (provisional) days with large impacts to our onsite learning program:

• Monday May 6th – Athletics carnival and all students attend this

• Tuesday 18th June – no classes running onsite for staff Professional Practice Day. This is the date of the GAT exam which all students studying a VCE Unit ¾ subject (including VM) will sit here @ TC.

• Monday 15th July – staff professional development day. TC is only open to staff.

• Thursday 8th August – Student Parent Teacher Interviews option 1

• Friday 9th August – Student Parent Teacher Interviews option 2

• Wednesday 21st August – Course Counselling Day – held online, all families are expected to attend a meeting to discuss 2025 subject selections. No classes run on this day

• Friday 29th November – Staff professional development day. TC is only open to staff.

Entry Parent Catch up morning

If you are interested please complete this form - https://forms.office.com/r/9rcdLV93q2

Previous Weeks Announcements

• WASHI Released

• Student Parent Teacher Interviews - Term 1

• TC Launch

• Panorama Buses

• Leaving Early Process

• Yan Kondee Yirramboi – ‘Walking to Tomorrow’ - New Sport Centre Mural

• Disability Car Spaces

• Term 1 Dates (reminders)

• Updating Student Enrolment Details

• Relationships and Sexuality Education at TC  

• Creative VIC Artist in Residence Grant - Introducing Nusra Qureshi

• We’re on Instagram!

• Join Our parent/carers Facebook group

WASHI Feedback now available on Compass

The Work and Study Habits Index (WASHI) reports Cycle 1 2024 are now available to view on your students reporting tab in Compass. For those new to TC, the WASHI is released periodically throughout each Semester to give a snapshot of how our students are traveling in their classes.

If your student does have some areas that 'need improvement', we encourage you to reach out to their teachers and see how we can all work together to achieve our best this year. The reports can be difficult to find on the mobile app so we recommend you access them via a web browser. Please contact Wendy Gooley on wgoo@tc.vic.edu.au if you have questions about the WASHI process.

STUDENT PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS SEMESTER 1

The dates of the Student Parent Teacher Interviews for Semester 1 are:

• Option 1: Monday 25th March - onsite - 8:30 am - 3.30pm

• Option 2: Tuesday 26th Mach - online - 10:30 - 6pm

For those new to this, bookings will be made through Compass. We will let you know when this is available. It is “first in, best dressed”. Semester 1 only meets with subject teachers, not Connect mentors.

TC Launch

Over the past two weeks, we have run 2024 TC Launch Assemblies with our four communities. The focus or message of these gatherings has been to celebrate being together for another exciting year of learning and limitless possibilities ahead, both individually and collectively here @ TC. Also, as with any new year, it is important to revisit who and what we are about. Our why, so to speak. This was a big part of our messaging and was celebrated throughout the assemblies.

Below you can find the key video from the launch which we highly recommend watching to reaffirm the purpose of TC for all of our Community.

Panorama Buses

We have recently engaged with Panoroma Buses regarding some disruptions and general servicing issues reported to us by students and families. 

Our priority is that this service is reliable and safe for our students.

If you have any concerns about the Panorama services, please direct them to Aaron Mackinnon at amac@tc.vic.edu.au, who is now the liaison for these matters. 

Leaving Early Process

Students who wish to leave before the end of the school day for an appointment must follow the following process:

1. Student goes to the front office or CET offices sometime in the morning

2. They will need to show that you have approval to leave early:

   • Parent has already approved on Compass

   • Parent has left a voicemail or email with CET

   • The student brings a parent note with them

3. If they don’t have any of these, office staff will ring home to confirm that the student has approval to leave early

4. The student will then receive a pink Early Leavers Pass. This will have their name, the date and time when they need to leave and will be signed and stamped by office staff.

5. Later in the day, when it is time for the student to leave, they will present the Early Leavers Pass to their class teacher.

6. The teacher will then dismiss them from class.

7. They will sign out at the main office via the Compass Kiosk and leave the Early Leavers Pass at reception

If you have any questions about this or other processes to do with attendance please don’t hesitate to get in contact.

Katrina Katz – Assistant Principal – Community and Wellbeing
kkat@tc.vic.edu.au 

New Sport Centre Mural

Disability Car Spaces

A reminder to all families that only cars with a displayed Disability Permit can park in our two disability car spaces. We have students who require this accessibility for pick up and drop off and therefore it’s integral that these spaces are available.

Many thanks,
Katrina Katz - Assistant Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Term 1 Dates (reminders)

• Tuesday 27th Feb - TC Pool Party for all students. Consent is needed through Compass

• Monday 4th March - Animals expo. More information above

• Thursday 7th March - Photo day

• Tuesday 12th March - NAPLAN begins

• Monday 18th to Wednesday 20th March - Entry Camp (Red and Green Community)

• Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd March - Entry Camp (Blue and Gold)

• Monday 25th March - Student Parent Teacher Interviews (in person option). Booking instructions released nearer the date.

• Tuesday 26th March - Student Parent Teacher Interviews (online option). Booking instructions released nearer the date.

• Thursday 28th March - last day of term

Updating Student Enrolment Details

On Monday 12 February, we will be emailing home Student Enrolment Information for review. It is important that our student records are correct and up-to-date; therefore, we ask that you carefully review the document and, if there are any inaccuracies and/or omissions, please email the changes to connect@tc.vic.edu.au by Friday 23 February 2024.  Please note that separated families only receive the information relevant to their household. We thank you for your assistance.  Should you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the General Office on (03) 9850 6333.

Relationships and Sexuality Education at TC  

The TC Community Integrated Learning team are excited to announce we will be continuing the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) initiative in 2024 for our Flexible Learning Environment cohorts.  

In 2024 a sequence of four RSE lessons will be included in the regular timetable for FLE students. FLE1-FLE3 including MAP students will receive 4 sessions over the year. These will begin with FLE1 on a rotating timetable during cohort based English classes from Term 1 - Week 4. We will be scheduling Entry, International and VM student cohorts into RSE program later in the year. 

Classes have been designed to be developmentally and age appropriate and inclusive of consent education. The term Relationships and Sexuality Education may include topics such as safer sex practices, sexual and reproductive health, respect for others and oneself, consent, diversity, personal rights and responsibilities, love, relationships and friendships, effective communication, abstinence, and decision-making.  

At TC we take a whole school approach and believe that relationships and sexuality education is a shared responsibility. Research shows your child’s sexuality education is most effective when you are also actively involved. We encourage parents/carers to follow up with conversations with your child according to your own values and beliefs. The Victorian Department of Education has great resources to assist parents with these discussions - https://www.vic.gov.au/sexuality-education-parents

The RSE classes will be delivered by TC staff experienced in this teaching area, and we look forward to working with young people to strengthen their skills and understanding of RSE across developmental stages. 

We encourage and strongly recommend that all students attend these important classes. However, if you would prefer your child not to attend these classes, please email your child’s Community Executive Team to opt out by 5pm Friday Feb 17th, 2024. Students who are not participating will go to another supervised space during these sessions.    

BLUE@tc.vic.edu.au  
RED@tc.vic.edu.au  
GOLD@tc.vic.edu.au  
GREEN@tc.vic.edu.au  

Andrea Carydias – TC Health Promotion/RSE/Developmental Learning  

Creative VIC Artist in Residence Grant - Introducing Nusra Qureshi

We are so excited to announce that TC was success in gaining support from Creative VIC for an artist in residence program later this year. Nusra Qureshi will work with MAP and visual art students on a project called

”SELF AND SYMBOLS: Exploring representations of self through personal stories of place and belonging, celebrations of neurodiversity, and pro-active mental health, through arts practice”

Nusra will facilitate a range of workshops during Term 2 exploring painting techniques used in her work which has been internationally exhibited and acclaimed.

Congrats to the CIL, MAP team and Nusra for securing this project funding for TC students.

We’re on Instagram!

Do you follow @official_templestowe_college on the gram? Celebrating TC achievements and sharing with our community it is a great way to learn more about TC on your daily scroll! Follow now - https://www.instagram.com/official_templestowe_college/

If you prefer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templestowecollege

Join our parent/carers facebook group

TC has an active parents/carers Facebook page, run by parents for parents. Promoting a safe space for parents and carers of students at Templestowe College to share information online, the group celebrates school achievements, keeps up to date with school events, and more.

To join please follow this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/templestowecollegeparentcarersgroup/ all members will be confirmed by a school staff member, please ensure you answer the requested questions to join.

Past TCNEWS Articles

TC Touring Critters - The 2024 Animals Expo!

On Monday afternoon, TC Animals hosted the 2024 Animals Expo along with the grand opening of their new enclosure, the Aviary for Life! The aviary is a native aviary for our king parrots and kakarikis, as well as our very new red-tale black cockatoos which we only got yesterday! The goal of the expo was to share the program's achievements and showcase the animals that we are very lucky to care for.

During the event, a sausage sizzle was set up to provide food and refreshing drinks to the attendees, which was a great way to get the occasion going! To top it off, Backyard Permaculture used the pizza oven to serve scrumptious scones with jam and cream to the public.

Students gave tours to the visitors, showcasing the diverse range of animals in the program, including fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. As an Aviary class leader, I was posted outside 'Aviary for Life', answering questions from the public and providing some information to guests. I enjoyed helping to contribute to the event, and seeing how happy our King parrotts and Kakarikis are in their new enclosure!

Shoutout to all the students who contributed to the Mural on the New Aviary, and to Violet for designing and directing it - It's beautiful!

The highlight of the day was the welcome to country performance by Delanah and the speeches given by the two Aviary headkeepers, Sofie and Kiara, who discussed the process of creating the Aviary and how it is today. At 5:00, everyone gathered around the Aviary for Life to listen to the speeches and learn more about the amazing work they do!

We asked a group of students in the animal program about their experience -

1) How long have you been in the animals program?
Delanah: I have been in the Animals program since 2021.
Kiara: This is my 5th year in the Animals program
Naomi: I have been in the animals program for 6 years now, I started when I was an entry.

2) What role did you have at the expo on Monday?
Naomi: The role I had was the indoor aviary, where I was talking about some of the birds that we can breed at school and how we hand rear them, but also I got to show my family around and some family friends who had never seen the school before.
Imogen: I was a tour guide, touring guests around to all our animals on display and through permaculture explaining both the programs and answering questions along the way.
Dominic: I worked as an 'Expert' on Skinks and showed off some of the Blue-Tongues, namely Apollo and Big Mumma, to the guests and visitors.

3) What inspired you to become a student leader?
Imogen: I became a Headkeeper of Rabbits because I enjoy sharing my passion and interest of our rabbits with my peers and it is especially rewarding when they discover that passion too!
Dominic: I'm a leader for Skinks in my class and I wanted to become a leader because I really enjoyed working in Skinks and I'd like to help others learn about them.
Lulu: I am the rabbit and guinea pig leader in my FAF class, and I am the Guinea Pig Headkeeper for 2024. I was inspired to become a rabbit and guinea pig leader because I really like the animals, and when I started FAF, Kate was my teacher, and she helped me become a leader (and Headkeeper).

4) Can you tell us about your favourite animal in the program, who they are and why?
Delanah: I have always loved the rats in the program as I have some at home as well. I really love the little frogs because they have such funny personalities that not everyone gets to see
Imogen: It would have to be B1, our Eastern Blue Tongue. He was one of the first skinks I ever held, and whenever I handle him, he immediately falls asleep in my arms, it’s really special to know that an animal feels that safe and comfortable with you.
Naomi: My favourite animal in the animal program are probably the Sugar gilders Wallah and Mimi and the Guinea Pigs Ginny, Baloo, Pippin and Daisy. They are my favourite because the sugar gliders are so cute and soft to the touch and the guinea pigs because I have seen Pippin and Daisy and Baloo from little babies to now.

5) In your opinion, what is the most interesting thing you have learned about animals during your time in this program?
Imogen: The most valuable thing I’ve learned in the animals program is how to understand an animal. Animals are completely dependent on you for everything in their lives and you have to learn how you can best help that animal to give them the best life possible. Learning to be more empathetic, patient and understanding helps you to best care and bond with animals on another level.
Dominic: I think the most interesting thing I've learnt through TC Animals is either that a snake can completely shed in less than a day, or that frog bites don't hurt because they have no teeth.

6) How do you engage new students and encourage them to become more involved?
Delanah: When I was a class leader I would always let the passionate students step up in leadership in the class and help them find out about meetings and opportunities coming up.
Imogen: The best way to encourage and engage with new students is to find a common interest and build off of that, it’s quite simple that if you love what you are learning you will be better at it!
Dominic: I try and engage new students by demonstrating how to do the different jobs in Skinks, such as feeding or weighing the animals, and encouraging them to try and learn how to do the jobs themselves and learn more about the animals that they are caring for.
Lulu: I try to befriend them and teach them all about the different animals, and sometimes tell them interesting stories about them.

7) What are your plans for the future regarding working with animals?
Delanah: I plan on always having animals in my life. My goal career is actually child psychology with animal assistance so that others can experience the benefits animals can have on your mental health.
Imogen: Animals are always going to play a role in my life, and I would love to experience volunteering or working with animals in a zoo.
Kiara: I’d really like to work with wild animals in some sort of conservation or rescue job.
Lulu: I would love to be an animals teacher one day, although I know it’s a rare job because most schools don’t have heaps of animals like this one.

8) What animal classes have you taken/or are taking, and what's your favourite?
Imogen: I have taken Reptiles and FAF but FAF is my favourite because we get to work in different environments with our animals.
Naomi: I have taken all for the animal class apart from AIS, My favourite class has been fur and feathers but I have also enjoyed reptiles.
Dominic: I take reptiles, and I've never had any other animals classes so Reptile is my favourite by default.

It was a great team effort to pull off the event, and everyone chipped in to make it a success. I can't wait to see what TC Animals has in store for the future! A big thank you to Delanah, Imogen, Kiara, Lulu, Naomi, and Dominic for working with me on this article, thanks for reading!

By Mietta Palmer
TC Journalist

Splish Splash! - TC's 2024 Pool Party

On Tuesday, TC's Pool Party for 2024 took place at Aquarena, and it was nothing short of a spectacular event leaving everyone who attended with fun memories and a sense of excitement for the next one. It was a day filled with laughter, sunshine, and good vibes. The teachers and students put in a tremendous amount of work to make this event spectacular so that everyone would look forward to hanging out with their friends on a hot summer's day, and they did not disappoint! 

At the start of the event, TC's grads paraded around the pools, showing off their exotic and creative costumes!

To add to the fun atmosphere, live music was performed by TC's very own bands and performers. Everyone sang along and swayed to the tunes, making the pool party even more enjoyable. It was great to see so many talented individuals showcasing their skills and entertaining the crowd!

One of the many fun stalls was the clothes swap, run by the TC EAG (Environmental Action Group), where they collected pre-loved clothing and accessories from families and students who didn't wear or need them any more. It was a huge hit, and heaps of people found some fantastic new additions to add to their wardrobe. There was also a face painting and henna stall which was also popular too! Another creative activity was portrait painting, where a handful of art students volunteered to draw a portrait of someone else, and a lot of beautiful drawings were created.

The VM students did an incredible job of running their sausage and drinks stall, and everyone appreciated their efforts and enthusiasm!

However, the main attraction of the day was undoubtedly the pool. Everyone got in and enjoyed the cool water, whether it was for Laps for Life, swimming competitions and games, or just a free swim. The slides were open all day, and everyone had a blast trying them out too!

At the end of the day, once all of the competitions had come to an end, the winning community was announced - and it was Gold! 

Gold had earned the most points when competing, therefore they were revealed as the winners!

As the day drew to a close, our principal, Peter, was a good sport and agreed to get a bucket of ice water dumped on his head for the VM Laps for Life fundraiser! It was a fun way to end a perfect day spent with friends and community, and of course, to cool off.

Overall, the TC Pool Party was a huge success, and everyone left with smiles on their faces, looking forward to the next one. It was a great reminder of how important it is to come together as a community and have some fun!

By Mietta Palmer and Ruby Egan-Douglas
TC Jounalists

Community Debating

Community debating took place this Thursday. Our communities battled it out in the PAC. The first topic was this is the best time in history to be a teenager the Affirmative Team was GOLD and the opposing negative side was GREEN. Gold came out on top and went into the next round.

After that it was affirmative BLUE and negative RED on the topic: Detentions make high schools a better place to be. Red won this debate and got to take part in the final debate head-to-head with Gold with the subject being AI technology should replace high school teachers.

Red came out on top winning the overall competition.

If you don't know much about debating but want to get involved here is some info, tips & tricks!

What is debating?
Debating is when a formal discussion about a topic is held in a public or legislative meeting. To start with each team is to present strong arguments about why they believe the topic is either true or false. They can do this by supporting their claims with evidence, statistics or just logical reasoning. The teams are also allowed to rebuttal (which means addressing the opponent's statements and countering them).
The judge then evaluates both the arguments from the opposing teams and comes to a conclusion based on criteria such as argumentation, presentation, and responsiveness.

Tips & Tricks
1. Understand your topic. - It's always helpful to know what you're arguing about. It helps gain perspective and anticipate potential counterarguments.
2. Use strong language- You know how in primary school you learnt about how to use big words to persuade people well do that it helps engage the audience! But also don't forget to be Clear and Concise when communicating your points.
3. Stay on topic - to avoid being sidetracked by irrelevant issues.
4. Make sure to engage the audience - Use hand gestures and make eye contact (if that makes you nervous picture everyone in their undies when on stage! Just make sure you don't giggle while giving the speech!)

If you want to get involved with debating there is a club on Tuesday lunchtime in A03 where the TC debaters meet and write speeches for going up against other schools. They learn how to write a good speech and become confident in public speaking! So go check it out!

By Ruby Egan-Douglas
TC Journalist

Get to Know our school captains!

What’s the last greatest TV show or movie you watched?
Callista: The Lincoln lawyer.
Lucy: Taylor Swifts concert movie!

If aliens landed on earth tomorrow and offered to take you home with them, would you go?
Callista: yes!
Lucy: Yes, only because I’d be interested in what the deal with space is.

If you could be great at any Olympic sport, which would it be?
Callista: Soccer goalkeeper
Lucy: It would be awesome to be able to be a pro skater. But also soccer so I could hang out with the matilda’s.

What's the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery today?
Callista: I'd give it to charity.
Lucy: I would buy tickets to Europe

If you could attend a dinner with any celebrity, living or dead, who would you choose?
Callista: I'd have dinner with Channing Tatum.
Lucy: I would attend dinner with Taylor Swift, Freddie Mercury and Emily Dickenson.

What was your favourite childhood board game/sport/activity?
Callista: Board game - monopoly, sport - soccer, basketball and hockey, activity - camping and art.
Lucy: My favourite board game was Cluedo. Mainly because I was so good at it I would never lose!

What is your go-to comfort meal?
Callista: My mums lasagne or Eggplant parmigiana.
Lucy: My comfort meal is an enchilada from Guzman Y Gomez

Luna New Year

This Saturday, the tenth of February, is this year’s Lunar New Year! This day is mainly celebrated in China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia, Malaysia, and Singapore, to mark the start of the Lunar calendar year. This calendar is based on the Moon’s cycles rather than Earth’s rotations around the Sun like the Gregorian calendar. 2024 is the year of the dragon 🐲.

There are many ways this day can be celebrated, and our own students here at TC have provided us with some insight. 

Shirley (Zeshan Li) arrived in Australia from China in January 2023, and has Lunar New Year traditions of putting up decorations, eating dinner with family on New Year’s Eve, distributing red envelopes (Angpow) and other gifts, setting off firecrackers and fireworks, and “stay[ing] up late eat[ing] dumplings”. B Dang arrived in Australia from Vietnam just this January, and has the tradition of buying fireworks and setting them off, and watching a traditional Vietnamese movie called Tao Quan. B added, “we have lots of food, and we also put food on a table next to the door and leave the door open”. Tat, who arrived from Malaysia in January last year, would celebrate by gathering with relatives, playing Mahjong, and eating a big meal while waiting for fireworks. Jonathan, who arrived from China in November last year, described a tradition of big dinners with 15+ dishes, making dumplings, and “as for the kids, they will receive red packets full of money from every relative”. Red is prominent during Lunar New Year celebrations because it symbolises joy and good fortune.

This Lunar New Year, Kayla Lau, who arrived from Singapore a month and a half ago, will be celebrating by eating dinner with family. Danny Tram, who arrived from Vietnam in September 2023, currently lives in a homestay from Taiwan and will be celebrating with them. Sonya (Yuehan Sun), who arrived from China on the 4th of February, will be getting red pockets and visiting relatives.

The day requires some preparation. Niki Cao, who arrived from Vietnam in July last year, said they “prepare on New Year’s Eve [by] cleaning the home, and then gathering with relatives and family”. Sonya prepares by buying different kinds of food and new clothes. Shirley prepares by buying decorations like lanterns, firecrackers, fireworks, and “materials to prepare for the New Year’s dinner”. Hasan, who arrived from China in July last year, said preparation involves “welcom[ing] the New Year with a new look and a positive attitude”.

Lunar New Year can bring lots of good memories, and your fellow students shared some of their favourites. Husayn MA, who arrived from China in July 2023, said “back [in] my hometown, I played [in] the snow and [ate] with all of my relatives.” B’s favourite memory is “fireworks in front of the police officer while he is sleeping.” Kayla said “my favourite part is spending time with family.”

To all those who will be celebrating, I hope you have a wonderful time, and good luck in the year ahead!

By Rory Opie
TC Journalist