MIDDLE SCHOOL
MS KATRINA STALKER HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
HORIZONS WIDEN FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS
BOYS PRESENT CONFIDENTLY TO THEIR PEERS
MATTHEW CHEN AND LUCA PELOSI – YEAR 7
In Year 8 , our boys have the opportunity to broaden their horizons and to explore all that is on offer at school while they have the time in their schedules to do so . There were opportunities for exploration within the Extension Studies Program , the Year 8 Big Ideas Lectures and within each form as they each presented a topic of their own choosing to the Year 8 cohort .
At the time of writing , three of the forms had presented . The boys of Form 8TG presented first on the topic of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton , recounting the amazing journey of survival he led in one of the harshest environments on Earth . The bravery , teamwork , skill , resilience and leadership shown by Shackleton and his team were explored . The audience was encouraged to be in awe of the character shown by the group of men and to take inspiration from the story .
The boys of Form 8AH retold the story of the Thailand cave rescue , where young boys from a soccer team became stranded when torrential rain trapped them deep within a cave system . Form 8AH boys explored the selflessness , bravery and teamwork of the rescuers , posing the question : ‘ would you put yourself in danger to save someone else ?’
The boys of Form 8OM explored the nuclear plant meltdown at Chernobyl . Their presentation was based on the Cold War and the nuclear race . It included why the meltdown happened , the effects of nuclear radiation and how the local people had to rapidly escape , as they became displaced from their homes as refugees . They asked the audience to imagine what it would be like to be suddenly removed from your home , leaving your possessions and your life behind and never being able to return .
All boys in each form contributed to the presentations . They put the information into a
PowerPoint format , prepared their speeches well and presented confidently to their peers . Each presentation was excellent and very well received by the cohort . As well as broadening the boys ’ knowledge of the world in which they live , the program aims to encourage cooperation and teamwork and to build confidence in preparing and delivering presentations .
The Year 8 presentations work in conjunction with the Big Ideas Lectures , the latest of which was on sexuality , with a focus on respect and consent . The question was posed to the boys : ‘ How can you be a positive force in your social circles to promote ideas of respect and understanding around sexuality ?’
The boys were encouraged to be mindful of the School ’ s foundational statement of respecting the inherent value of the individual . This lecture was delivered by a Police Liaison Officer , whose message was to be respectful when the boys participated in any online forum .
In Term 3 , Matthew Chen won the Year 7 Declamation Competition in a tightly contested event , with Luca Pelosi a close second . All the boys delivered interesting speeches . The topics ranged from political to environmental issues , drawing inspiration from famous people such as Martin Luther King , Muhammad Ali , Julia Gillard and Solli Raphael ( We Can Be More ). They were well delivered and thoughtprovoking speeches for which the boys deserve high praise . The Year 8s also made excellent speeches , with Samuel Ek achieving first place , narrowly from Arjun Khurana .
Watching each boy ’ s presentation and seeing their peers listen and engage during the program has demonstrated the boys ’ awareness of a wide range of issues and their growing ability to present confidently to their peers . www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 21