Amanda Thai takes dux honours
It simply doesn’t get any better than that to end VCE.
An elated, but relieved Amanda Thai opened her ATAR results
to the news of a 99.05 score last Monday morning, topping the graduating
class at Rowville Secondary College for 2016.
VCE may come as a shock to many students across Victoria, but for Rowville Secondary College’s 2016 dux Amanda Thai, her result is the product of years of healthy habits and hard work.
The Rowville Institute of the Arts student’s committed study habits throughout her secondary schooling meant she didn’t experience the shock many others might once they hit the crucial VCE years.
“I didn’t do anything different to what I’ve always been doing,” Amanda said.
“I did the work that was required of me and towards exams I did practice exams – I didn’t do anything crazy like lock myself in my room.
“Towards exams I kind of went on the philosophy that I’d rather go into my exams happy than stressed (and) I didn’t overwhelm myself.”
The former Wooranna Park Primary School student believes her strategies throughout VCE took considerable pressure off her in 2016.
“I did four Year 12 subjects this year and two last year which really helped – it took a lot of the pressure off this year – it meant I didn’t have to work on five subjects at once,” she said.
“I did two Englishes – Literature and English, and Mathematics, (and) it was good that I had Dance – it was an outlet for me.
“In Year 11, I did Psychology and Textiles.”
Amanda is thankful of all her teachers this year.
“They were really good,” she said.
“Especially Ricki Leicester – I’ve known her since Year 7 so she’s been my dance teacher for a really long time.”
“They were all really supportive and kept pushing me to do more, challenging me and provided really good feedback so I could look back on say, essays that I’d written during the year towards exams and see what I’d need to work on.”
A RIA student since year 7, Amanda couldn’t speak higher of her time in the program.
“I love RIA, it’s a really good community because everyone’s interested in artistic things and similar interests – it’s easy to find people you have things in common with,” she said.
“The program itself has grown a lot over the years and it’s better now than it was in year 7 (and) it offers students a really good opportunity to do what they love at school.”
2017 looks to be another prosperous year for the College dux, where Amanda hopes to study a Bachelor of Creative Writing at RMIT University.
A love of writing and creativity has Amanda hopeful of a career in her passion.
“That’s probably a weird thing to say because I got an ATAR of 99.05, you’d expect me to do something like engineering, medicine or law but those things never interested me,” she said.
“What interests me is being creative, that’s why I’m in RIA and I really like creative writing.”
“Ideally I want to be an author of fiction novels because I really enjoy that – but also editing would be really cool, working in a publishing house or anything to do with words and writing.”
What advice would the 2016 Rowville Secondary College dux give to future year 12 students?
Amanda believes in doing what works best for the individual.
“Be self-aware of what works for you,” she said.
“A lot of people say ‘you need to do this many practice exams’ or ‘you need to work like that’.
“That’s formulaic and it doesn’t work for everyone.
“Some people, they need to study more because that’s the way they absorb the information properly.
“But some people, if they work too much on the information it becomes stale and they don’t have an interest in it anymore.
“Be self-aware of how you best learn and apply that to Year 12 so you don’t break yourself trying to work with someone else’s strategies.”
Friends and family created a helpful support network for Amanda, of which she is truly grateful.
“My friends were wonderful, they support me all the time and they’re all really intelligent too so we complement each other,” she said.
“It’s been really good to have them there, we always support each other and we’re all creative.
“My family’s always been supportive – they’ve always said to do what you love, not what we want you to do.”
Amanda says that while you must remain focused in Year 12, you shouldn’t give up doing what you love in your spare time.
“Last year I did so many extra-curricular activities, production, dance competitions, and that kind of tired me out at the end,” she said.
“I did stop a bit of dancing (this year) but not altogether, otherwise I wouldn’t have an outlet, (and) I didn’t stop reading books either – I read all the time.
“Don’t give up what you love, and don’t feel like you have to sacrifice absolutely everything to do Year 12 – you can still have a social life.
“You need to keep doing what you love, otherwise you’ll go crazy if you spend all your time doing school-work and by exam time you’ll be burnt out.”
Amanda Thai’s journey at Rowville Secondary College is one she will look back on fondly as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.
“I don’t think I would have got the same experience if I’d went to a different high school,” she said.
“Especially because of RIA, I wouldn’t have met the same people, I wouldn’t have had the same community experience.
“It was really influential in making me who I am.”
Sarah Goh blitzes to 98.8
At just 17 years of age, the world is Sarah Goh’s oyster.
The Rowville Secondary College General Excellence student is overwhelmed with joy after receiving her ATAR score of 98.8, after a 13-year school journey which began at Heany Park Primary School.
“I just wanted to prove this year that I can really work hard to achieve something really good,” Sarah said.
“I knew that no matter what coming out of this year, if I’d known I’d done my best and tried my hardest in everything, I would be happy no matter what my result was.
“My result was the icing on the cake.”
With Chemistry, Mathematics, English Language and Economics among the subjects Sarah studied, she was grateful for all the hard work and time of her teachers.
“The main thing is the teachers for sure – they just put everything into the students,” she said.
“I was really blessed to have four really great teachers this year.
“They were so supportive and encouraging, but they also challenged me which is really good.
“They were all amazing.”
A healthy work-life balance was part of Sarah’s strategy this year, as she describes 2016 as the ‘best’ year of her life.
“I wanted to really balance my social life and my life outside of school with my studies,” she said.
“During the week, I would study daily. But I had this thing where if I went out, I would enjoy that time but when I got home, I knew it was time to get to work.
“I did Economics, and we talk about quality of life (and) in terms of quality of life, it was amazing this year, this year was the best year of my life – I’ve had the best time.”
Having also completed Year 12 subjects in Year 11, the lesson learnt became simple as she took on the year of her life in 2016 – stress less.
“I did two (Year 12) subjects last year and I spent so much time stressing and having anxiety about it,” Sarah said.
“This year I wanted to be more mature about it.
“This year I’ve got better scores than I had in my entire life (and) it’s really paid off.
“I’ve really learnt not to worry about anything – what’s it going to do? It’s not going to help you out.
“There’s always going to be people who are naturally smart and may not try as hard, but I’m more impressed with the person but may not be as smart naturally but tries really hard.”
So what does 2017 hold? Sarah hopes to study a double Bachelor of Biomedicine and Commerce degree at Monash University’s world-class Clayton campus.
Sarah’s newfound love for Economics this year has driven her to pursue it further.
“I didn’t want to be a doctor straight away but I knew I wanted to do something in health and science,” she said.
“Also this year I decided to pick up Economics and it turns out I really, really enjoyed it and I was surprisingly good at it.
“I decided that for an extra year, I can get a Commerce degree also. I wanted to do something broad so that I have my options open.
“I’m only 17, and I realise that if I go into anything specific it could leave me in a bubble. But I wanted to have my options open and see where it heads.
“I think it’s important not to be afraid to pursue all of your interests.”
Sarah Goh, the younger sister of 2014 dux Samuel Goh, leaves Rowville Secondary College imparting sage advice, urging the-soon-to-be Year 12 students not to let external pressure get the better of them.
“Don’t conform to pressure from anyone else and people around you – possibly parents or anything,” she said.
“I was really lucky, I’ve got really good parents. They never pressured any of us to do well, and I think that’s what helped us do well.
“It was about self-motivation and having the work ethic to really pursue a good score. It’s about trying your best and having that for your own strength and energy.”
Sarah also advises that everyone’s VCE experience is different, and to support your fellow peers.
“Don’t worry about the other people around you and what they score and how they do,” she said.
“Honestly, everyone is having a different experience – my experience this year was different to my friends and all of their experiences.
“A lot of them had different things on their plate and you really can’t compare it with everyone.
“Support everyone around you.”
Dilini Witjetunga soars to 92.75
Hard work, persistence, and perseverance pays off.
For Dilini Wijetunga, there has been no truer philosophy this year as the 18-year-old opened her ATAR results to reveal her score of 92.75.
With an unwavering passion for music and a broad interest in aviation and engineering, the sky is the limit for the former Heany Park Primary School student.
“It (Year 12) was pretty tough,” Dilini said.
“There were times when I thought I wasn’t sure if it was going to pay off, but if you keep working you can trust that the worst that can happen isn’t too bad.
“I did spent quite a bit of time studying. I’d get home and it’d be usually at least an hour of each (subject).
“I don’t think you necessarily completely have to throw away everything and throw yourself in.
“I think taking a break when you need it is very important and often works better than working when you’re tired.”
Dilini’s passion in music saw her awarded the College’s coveted music scholarship this year.
She believes music provided her with a much-needed outlet among her other subjects.
“I’m so glad I was able to do music,” she said.
“It was nice to have that one subject where it didn’t feel like I was studying.
“If you have a passion and it’s a subject, go for it.
“I was still practicing piano at least two hours every day. Leading up to exams, it would be up to three hours a day.
“It was more of an outlet than anything else. When I needed a break, it was great to do something physical.”
Maths Methods, Physics and Literature were among Dilini’s other subjects in 2016.
“I was lucky that my teachers were really good and very understanding,” she said.
“They were all really supportive, and I’m pretty sure I annoyed them quite a bit just asking questions, stressing over this and that, (but) they’d always be so patient.”
Enrolled in the RIA program from Year 7, Dilini will miss performing in the biannual RIA Showcase event, and admits watching semester two’s show was a bit emotional.
She has also enjoyed watching the evolution of the RIA program.
“The music program and the RIA program have been amazing,” she said.
“I wasn’t part of the last Showcase but I came to watch and I thought I’m going to miss it so much.
“It’s like a family. I joined from year 7, but at that point (the program) wasn’t completely formed.
“It’s great to see how much it’s improved and developed.
“One of the most important people there would be (College Principal) Ms Kennedy, she really changed it for the better.”
A diverse range of interests, from music to aviation, all with limitless potential has Dilini excited for 2017, in what promises to be another busy year for the 18-year-old.
“I reckon I’m going to be pretty busy next year,” she said.
“What I put down at the top of my university preferences was Engineering and Arts as a double degree at Monash University.
“I’m hoping to specialise in aerospace engineering, and what I also did this year as a VET subject was aviation, so I’ve got my private pilot licence.
“I’m hoping to pursue that as a career – maybe an aviation engineer, but we’ll see where it takes me.
“On the other hand, I love music quite a bit. That’s definitely not something I want to let go of – I see potential for a career on that path as well.
“I want to make sure I’m as prepared as possible.”
Looking back in five, 10, 20 years and beyond, Dilini says her time at Rowville Secondary College will always resonate positively.
“(It was) definitely a positive experience, I’m very glad I actually came here, I think it allowed me to develop a lot, not only as a student but as a person as well with all the different people you meet here,” she said.
“It’s really great that we have the Sports Academy, Arts, Maths & Science Academy and General Excellence because you get exposed to a lot more people.
“As a kid, I was pretty shy and awkward, so coming to Rowville actually really helped me in that sense – I have a lot more confidence.”
On the home front, Dilini couldn’t be more thankful for the support of her parents.
“As much as they’ve supported me, they’ve never pushed me too much,” she said.
“It was always ‘we’ll help you as much as you want us to help you’, and ‘you tell us what your goals are and we’ll help you in terms of that’ – it was great, they never overdid it.”
Working hard, perseverance and persistence is the advice Dilini would give to future Year 12 students.
“Do subjects that you love, doesn’t matter if they’re marked up or marked down, or even if you feel like you’re not quite as good as you think you are,” she said.
“There’s a sort of assumption in a few other schools I’ve noticed, talking to other people who did music, that if you play piano, you have to be at a certain level.
“I wasn’t at that specific level that was mentioned. But working hard, I managed to get a very good score that I was happy with.
“Don’t worry about how you feel you’re supposed to be, keep working, and take a break when you need it.”
Meg Dunn produces 90.06
masterpiece
THE Rowville Secondary College community has been left spellbound on countless occasions.
At RIA Showcase, the College production, at presentation evenings, at assemblies – you name it.
Rowville Institute of the Arts student Meg Dunn’s undeniable stage talent has enthralled sell-out theatre-going crowds for years, and last Monday, Meg produced another masterpiece.
The 18-year-old is on cloud-nine after receiving her ATAR score of 90.06.
“It’s been a really good year,” Meg Dunn said.
“I’ve heard a lot of people get really stressed about Year 12 and all their subjects.
“I picked subjects that I really enjoyed doing, so I liked coming to school and I liked hanging out with my friends (and) I didn’t stress myself out.”
A hectic schedule in 2016 filled with rehearsals and shows provided a healthy balance to the rigours of the demanding Year 12 VCE year.
“I think that I balanced it out really well – I do lots of extra-curricular activities as well so it was me coming home, doing some work, and then going off to a rehearsal or for a show outside of school,” Meg said.
“I wasn’t someone who locked themselves in their room for six hours a day because I think that’s pretty ridiculous.
“But I did work hard when I was here (at school) and when I was at home.”
Her journey at the College and in RIA is one she will forever cherish, along with the teachers that celebrated her love of all things theatre.
“It was amazing – when I was first came to the school RIA was a new thing,” Meg said.
“I think the people and the course as well when you’re surrounded by like-minded people, lots of my friends have gone to other schools and they hated it because there’s mean people.
“We all think the same and we all like the same thing (in RIA).”
Meg strongly advises future Year 12 students not to buy in to the social class battle when endeavouring to do well.
“Don’t get sucked into the private school-public school battle,” she said.
“They don’t have better teachers at private schools and they don’t have better teachers at public schools.
“It’s how hard you work as an individual that will get you those marks – that’s what I did, I just worked really hard.”
One would struggle to find anyone who looks more at home on stage in front of a pulsating crowd than Meg Dunn.
She has grown up with her family-owned theatre company, Nuworks Theatre, and hopes to continue her passion in 2017.
“I’ve auditioned for NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) and VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) and got a call-back for both, and currently I’m on the waiting list for VCA, so I made it through the call-back so I’m just waiting until January to hear if I’m in,” Meg said.
“Not many people do get in the first year out of high school, so if I don’t get in, I’m planning to have a gap year and go on a theatre tour with my family’s theatre company and perform plays overseas.
“The theatre has always been what I’ve loved doing, so having (my family’s theatre company) in the background of Year 12 has been great too.
“This school has given me opportunities to do so much theatre as well.”
Meg admits she will miss the RIA Showcase concerts and the College productions, where she has had a lead role in the past three years.
“They were my favourite,” she said.
“I didn’t actually get involved in productions until Year 10, because I was really nervous about singing – I hated singing in front of people.
“But then when I auditioned in Year 10, I got a lead role in Hairspray, then Beauty & The Beast, then Legally Blonde.
“They’re so much fun.”
The community aspect of the College and the RIA program has forged bonds between Meg and her classmates over the journey, which created a beneficial support network on her way to 90.06.
“All of my friends were amazing,” Meg said.
“I’ve been friends with my group since Year 7, also eventually everyone in RIA started becoming best friends.
“By the end of Year 10, all of RIA were sitting together in the café. My four (best) friends in particular, they’re incredible, and they’re all so intelligent in their own way, I love them.
“They supported me through the whole year and I’d like to think I supported them as well.”
And her proud parents supported her every step of the way.
“My mum and my dad didn’t force me to do maths in Year 11 and 12 – they didn’t force me to do subjects I didn’t want to do,” Meg said.
“They’re the best.”
Barry Plant recipients:
One Year On
Two of the outstanding Barry Plant Scholarship winners from 2015 were welcomed into the College's General Excellence program this year.
Georgia Bradford and Nicole Gondidis were the respective winners for Rowville Primary School and Heany Park Primary School at the end of 2015, presented at the Junior Presentation Evening.
A year on, both have continued to show relentless desire to learn, improve and lead by example.
Nicole has enjoyed the learning environment offered in the College’s General Excellence program.
“It’s been really good, I’ve learned a lot from this school and it’s been really enjoyable,” she said.
“The teachers are really friendly and I’ve been learning a lot.
“I like the school and I’ve got my way around it.”
Nicole’s willingness to assist the community hasn’t wavered since she was interviewed for the Barry Plant Scholarship in November 2015, when she expressed her desire to become a leader at Rowville Secondary College.
Fast-forward to December 2016, and Nicole has completed a number of initiatives with the student leadership team in her first year of secondary school.
“Every second Monday we had our meetings and we did lots of fundraising events for a number of different charities. I really enjoyed it,” she said.
Other duties included interviewing for the new-look, student-voiced College yearbook, as well as addressing the College at assemblies throughout the year.
Nicole also volunteered to be part of the College’s professional photo-shoot, where she and a number of others will be the visible student faces of the school across various media and promotional materials.
Georgia Bradford continues to excel in all her subjects, where she has hit the ground running in the General Excellence program in her first year.
The quiet-achiever has been the recipient of academic awards at each eligible ceremony this year, including November’s Junior Presentation Evening.
Following on from her primary school years where she excelled in the classroom as well as participated in and often organised community events, her enthusiasm this year has seen her fit in well at the College.
Unsure of secondary school on the first day - but now a distant memory - Georgia has grown to become popular among her peers.
"I was scared on the first day of school, and then I really liked it," she said.
“I’ve made lots of new friends – I enjoy school.
"I like all the subjects and I like all the teachers."
General Excellence
Robyn Geake - Assistant Principal
It has been another extremely busy and rewarding term for students and staff of General Excellence. Some key highlights were –
Celebration Day for our Year 12s as well as graduation:
CLICK HERE for full gallery
Arts celebrations including the Marvellous Music Moments Concert, Arts/Technology Exhibition and the Music Tour of our feeder Primary Schools:
And of course, the College ATAR results which saw two General Excellence students in our top five - Sarah Goh with 98.8 and Joshua Mason with 94.7.
It is a credit to the College's staff, students and their families for achieving such great results.
One of the many strengths of General Excellence is the breadth of subjects and programs which students can undertake.
We wish our graduating class for 2016, and Sarah and Joshua the very best for their futures - which I'm sure will be prosperous and bright.
Instrumental Music - Term 4
Patrick Thomson - Bands & Instrumental Music Director
It has been another fantastic term for the Instrumental Music Department at Rowville Secondary College, with a number of key events and concerts. We started off the term with our Jazz and Rock night, which this year was held at the Village Green in Mulgrave. There were performances from our college Big Band, The Leftovers, VET Music students and RIA Music Specialism students. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to play an iconic Melbourne venue and entertain a crowd of parents, friends and teachers.
We were also very privileged to be visited again by Rob Wagner, who ran workshops with our intermediate and senior concert bands. Rob continued on from the good work he did with our students last year and the advice and guidance that the students received from such a talented professional will stay with them for many years to come.
Marvellous Music Moments, which this year was based around songs from musicals, was a huge success and a celebration of all the hard work done by our ensembles. The audience was treated to performance pieces from Grease, Wicked, Les Misérables and The Rocky Horror Picture Show to name a few.
Finally, we finished off the year with our annual Primary School Tour where the Junior Concert Band put on a show for our feeder primary schools: Heany Park, Karoo, Park Ridge, Lysterfield and Rowville Primary Schools. All the year 7 students were extremely excited about performing to their old primary schools teachers and it is also great way for these primary students to see the wonderful music opportunities available to them at Rowville Secondary College.
Rowville Secondary College has a proud history of providing quality music education, including producing some of Australia’s leading musicians. We cater for a wide range of musical interests, offering lessons in woodwind, brass, percussion, strings, piano, guitar and voice. We provide many opportunities for the public to come and enjoy music performances by students at all levels of accomplishment. These events are well supported, and all members of the local community are welcome to attend. We will be back, better than ever in 2016, and if you would like any more information regarding lessons or events please visit the website:
http://www.rowvillesc.vic.edu.au, follow us on Facebook:
Rowville SC Instrumental Music Program.
Stuart Tripp inspires VCAL
By Carolanne Collins
The VCAL students at the Western Campus had the pleasure of meeting two-time Paralympian Stuart Tripp this term, who came to visit and share his story of resilience, focus and determination.
GALLERY: Click here to view photos from Stuart’s visit.
Stuart was born in 1970 in Traralgon, leaving school at 15 years old as an apprentice plumber then went back to school to become a wool classifier.
In 1994, whilst up country on work, Stuart had a car accident, neither drugs nor alcohol were causes.
He was in a coma for several weeks and then his right leg was amputated. Life took a downhill turn and he turned to alcohol and cigarettes, and later attempted suicide.
It was then he sought the help of experts to help him with his mental health issues and was introduced to sport. He had always been a keen sportsman and embraced the euphoria of the endorphins created by sport. He found the pathway to his future.
After trialling different sports, he found hand-cycling, which led to changing his lifestyle, exercising regularly and eating good food.
Stuart forged ahead to compete in numerous competitions leading him to the London Paralympics in 2012 finishing 10th which to Stuart, was just not good enough. He recently competed in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, finishing second with a silver medal, being beaten by 2.3 seconds which according to Stuart was still not good enough. He now has his sights on the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Stuart told the story of many setbacks, such as a broken arm and injured knee which prevented him from competing overseas to gain valuable points for the Paralympian team and how to face adversity. He turned a negative into a positive where he now has a beautiful, supportive wife and two sons that he shares his goals, successes and failures with.
His message was that failure is part of life and that when you fail, just pick yourself up, set new goals and go hard to achieve. The VCAL students were very receptive to his messages, asked many questions and got to hold the silver medal.
Hopefully, this will be a memorable moment at school for many.
Diaries from Tasmania
The week that was the College’s Tasmanian cricket tour, with Tanya Vandevelde….
The boys have been immaculate in terms of their behaviour, sportsmanship and their representation of the College. They have had an absolute ball.
On Monday we arrived, got to the accommodation and headed out to the first match pretty quickly, against an under-14s rep side. We batted and made 369 from 50 overs. Jack Conroy made his first ever 100 so that was pretty spectacular. His dad and grandfather came to watch him so it was really special to see them witness it.
On Tuesday, we bowled and bowled them out for 220. That morning we spent some time at Bellerive Oval watching the Sheffield Shield and exploring the museum of cricket history there.
On Wednesday morning we went to the beach for a quick recovery session and then to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary where the boys met Tassie devils and fed kangaroos. That afternoon we played another under-14 representative side from Southern Rep and played a different format of 25 overs a side and they beat us in the last over. Then back to Bellerive to see more of the Sheffield Shield under lights.
(On Thursday) we went to an indoor cricket centre as it was raining and played indoor cricket and a bit of futsal. We then played the same side as yesterday, in another 25 overs per side match.
Jake Simpson took 7 wickets off 17 balls. You won’t be able to wipe the smile off his face for weeks. It was an intense finish, we needed to score one run per ball for the last five overs and it ended on a tie.
It has been a very exciting and rewarding week for all the students as they have had an opportunity to gel as a team and immerse themselves in their love of cricket.
In particular it has been really pleasing to see them grapple with the social demands of such an intense week of team sport and use their social skills, maturity, empathy and team work to bring out the best in each other.
Williams drafted by Bulldogs
Rowville Secondary College’s Head of Junior School Lisa Williams was selected at pick 92 by the Western Bulldogs in the NAB AFL Women’s Draft, ahead of the inaugural AFL Women’s season in 2017.
The classy Diamond Creek midfielder has now realised a dream, one she once thought was beyond the realms of possibility.
“It’s something when I was younger I definitely never thought was possible – it’s a dream come true,” Williams said after Wednesday’s draft.
“I’m absolutely rapt.”
Williams is joined by three Diamond Creek teammates, with key defender Lauren Morecroft (pick 101), ruck Tiarna Ernst (pick 108), and inside midfielder Kirsty Lamb (pick 138) also headed to the Whitten Oval.
Williams is excited to meet with her new teammates and coaches on Monday.
“I’m going in on Monday to meet all the playing group, so that’ll be exciting,” she said.
“I know a couple of the girls, there’s three other girls from my local team that have been drafted to the Bulldogs, and a lot of the other girls I play against.
“I know of most of them but on Monday we’re meeting for the first time as a team and our coaches, it’s going to be good.”
In a football journey which spawned from Williams’ love of many sports, the midfielder had always wanted to play Australian rules, but the opportunities were scarce.
“I started playing when I was 23, which I guess is very late,” she said.
“I’d grown up playing netball and a lot of other sports so it was just a lot of transferable skills.
“I had always wanted to play when I was younger, but the opportunities weren’t really there.”
Williams admits the first years of her football career were tough, as she began her career as a PE teacher at around the same time.
“I actually started playing the first year I started teaching at Rowville,” she said.
“(With) training a couple of nights a week, juggling work, training and games and everything, (it) was sometimes a bit busy and a struggle, but very worthwhile in the end.”
Williams, who grew up supporting Melbourne, cannot wait to take to the field in her new colours once the AFL Women’s competition kicks off in February.
“It’ll be awesome running out in a Bulldogs jumper and playing against Melbourne, Carlton, Collingwood, teams you’ve grown up seeing every weekend on TV.”
Production 2017 announced
Following on from the smashing success of 2016’s College production of Legally Blonde, productions coordinators Julia Duke and Kacey Hocking are buzzing with excitement off the back of the announcement of 2017’s show.
The Witches of Eastwick was announced as the 2017 production last month, which is set to hit the stage in the second week of August.
The Witches of Eastwick tells the tale of the people of the little town of Eastwick. It is a town where everyone knows everything about everyone else, and it is presided over by the indomitable Felicia Gabriel.
Bored and fed up with their small town lives, three women--Alexandra (Alex), Sukie, and Jane--share a wish for “all manner of man in one man” to rid them of the monotony that Eastwick brings. That man arrives, literally in a flash, in the devil-like form of Darryl Van Horne. Darryl teaches the women powers, which they never knew they had.
Witches of Eastwick is a musical of self-discovery as the leading women in the show learn that they are more than what society sees of them and that they have the ability to achieve their wildest dreams if they put their minds to it.
Kacey and Julia welcome all to take part, in what promises to be yet another incredible journey.
“The biggest thing that we want to push is that it’s not just a RIA event – everyone is welcome,” Kacey said.
“We really want Sports Academy, MSA, General Excellence, we want everyone to come in.
“The performing is secondary to it all. It’s the experience.
“You don’t have to have any performing experience whatsoever to be involved. But the journey of putting on a show and having that experience, it’s amazing.”
Julia Duke has extensive experience with The Witches of Eastwick, where it has something for everyone.
“I had done it a few years ago, I loved the show and loved the music,” Julia said.
“We think about our cohort when we put together a show (and) it has a really interesting ensemble, lots of little bit parts for students to get involved with, it’s got some great dance numbers, lots of harmonies for the singers as well.
“We’ve got some great character actors and actresses to bring those characters to life.”
Producing a unique show each year is a challenge Kacey and Julia thrive on. With The Witches of Eastwick containing spellbinding illusions and magic, 2017’s show looks set to dazzle.
“We always look for something a bit different as well because it’s got the magic to it as well – there’s a lot of illusions that we need to do on stage.
“It’s at a complexity but we love that challenge as well.
“I think the perception that (each year’s show is) better than the previous show, is that it’s different to the previous show.
“You can’t compare them, in a sense, it’s great in its own right.
“There’s still people that say they really loved Hairspray or they really loved Seussical, because they are so different, they appeal to different people.”
“There’s going to be some stagecraft that’s going to be pretty special – the witches in the show have to fly so we’re going to have a way of doing that, and the magical elements as well,” Julia said.
“One of the characters is a devilish sort of character, so bringing those special effects in to the show to try and portray that magical element.”
With the widespread talent of the students at the College, Kacey says The Witches of Eastwick fits the bill perfectly.
“What we do think when we choose a show is, do we have the kids that can pull it off? And yes we do - we’ve always got to keep that in mind,” she said.
“We’re always surprised during auditions,” Julia said.
“There are always kids that come out of the woodwork or have been in the ensemble for a few years that just step up and they’re right for those characters.”
Part of the production journey includes the production camp each year, where Julia and Kacey enjoy the ‘family’ element that the experience invokes.
“It’s like our favourite time of year, we love it. We love going and getting involved with the kids,” Julia said.
“You’ve got year 7s that come in or anyone having their first production experience and the other kids just envelop them and bring them into the little family – it’s awesome.”
“It’s like taking 100 kids who love what they do and want to be there 100% - they just love it,” Kacey said.
To get involved in The Witches of Eastwick, simply access the following website to book an audition date and time: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054baead2ba5ff2-witches
Semester 2 RIA Showcase
Make sure you check out all the fabulous snaps from RIA Semester Two Showcase, from student-photographer Alicia Currie and resident stalwart photographer Paul Danyluk.
CLICK HERE for Alicia Currie's gallery.
CLICK HERE for Paul Danyluk's gallery.
Medical Report
Keep informed
Rowville Secondary College launched its new website during 2016.
Showcasing the College's four learning programs - General Excellence, Maths & Science Academy, Rowville Institute of the Arts and Sports Academy, the new site has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community.
Enrolment information has never been more accessible to prospective parents, as well as information on all four unique learning programs, and the College's wide array of extra-curricular activities, including music, production and sport.
Members of the community are also kept up-to-date with all the latest news from around the College, with regular news and feature articles published.
Check it out here:
rowvillesc.vic.edu.au
Home-stay opportunities
Providing home-stay accommodation for an international student offers the chance to learn about another culture and build lifelong friendships.
This is an opportunity for you to join other families who are currently hosting international students at Rowville Secondary College. Students are typically aged between 15 and 18 years of age and need accommodation ranging from a few months to up to three years.
In return for accepting a student into your home and family you will be paid a generous weekly amount for your hosting and hospitality.
Student application enquiries are increasing with interest being shown in all of our programs – in particular VCE, Sports Academy golf and cricket, RIA Dance and Drama and MSA.
For further information or to register your interest in this unique opportunity, please all Chris Rodier on 9755 4555 or email
rodier.christopher.j@edumail.vic.gov.au
Promotional
Performing Arts Centre Hire
Rowville's Performing Arts Centre is available to hire!
Contact Susan Thompson (Manager) on 9755 4629 or at thompson.susan.l@edumail.vic.gov.au
The PAC will provide a professional platform to deliver an outstanding result for your next event!
Visit the Facebook by clicking here, or the official website for the venue by clicking here.
Rowville Secondary College would like to thank Barry Plant Rowville for their continued support of our College, through scholarships and billboards for special events.
