The magnitude of the need for schools to have a Character Education curriculum was highlighted by the impact of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Daily, the media reported situations where people’s character was called into play.

Perseverance and courage were seen in the many people that became unemployed, demonstrations of generosity and kindness in supporting people who were suffering most, such as the elderly, were frequent, scientists exhibited problem-solving skills to develop a vaccine and people became creative to ensure life continued as close to normal as possible with the restrictions in place.

Fortunately, our students were in a good position to deal with the world turmoil last year because Aquinas College has had a specific Character Education program in place since 2018, with it advancing across the school over the last three years. 2020 was the third year of implementation and saw each Veritas class in Year 7 and 8 gain a second lesson a week which allowed students to delve deeper into understanding what character is, how it is built, how it is tarnished and why it is important people have good character. The Junior school also introduced specific character education lessons for all year groups.

In 2021 the College will continue the promotion of Character Education by introducing a second lesson to each Year 9 Veritas class, thus providing greater opportunity for boys to engage in more Rites of Passage activities for the Odyssey Program. Visually stimulating signage that articulates the importance of people having good character has been arranged to be placed throughout the school and will provide students and visitors with a daily reminder that Aquinas is a school for building character in boys.

Middle School Program T1 2021

Year 7

Year 7 boys have been busy learning about the history of Aquinas and what it means to be an Aquinian. They have also learnt about the legacy of an Aquinas education through researching a selection of successful alumni - businessman Michael Chaney, Olympian and Kookaburras captain Aran Zalewski, politician and former state treasurer Ben Wyatt and Paralympian Brad Ness for example.

For the task, boys had to research the personal and career information, analyse this and justify five character traits these individuals have in order to become successful people. The boys were surprised when they saw the list of names, not realising these men were Aquinians.

Year 8

With a year of Middle School under their belt, the Year 8 boys started the term by reflecting on their time in Year 7 and setting goals for this year. With almost every boy setting an academic goal, it was an opportune time to have a good solid block of Study Skills. The boys looked at what made up a good home study environment and self-assessed their current situation. They learnt about the need to become better organised and improve their time management with the ever-increasing workload that occurs as they move up through school.

After looking at the organisational aspects of study skills, the boys moved onto the scholastic aspects of becoming better students. Boys learnt how to improve their retention of information by using schema - such as mind maps, brainstorming and KWL charts to assist them in making links between past knowledge and present content being taught. They also looked at active reading skills with the SQ3R method - how to take effective notes whilst in class and reading.

Year 9

The Year 9 boys commenced the term with an introduction to the concept of the Odyssey Program being a Rite of Passage for boys transitioning into young men. The beginning of a rite of passage requires candidates to understand and realise where they are currently in their life, so the first few lessons revolved around boys investigating their self-identity, family and personal culture.

Man Box

Halfway through the term disturbing media reports emerged highlighting the sexual assault of teenage girls and women by students and alumni of single-sex boys’ schools. This was timely as the boys commenced lessons around the concept of the ‘Man Box’. The ‘Man Box’ is the set of beliefs within and across society, that stereotype masculinity and place pressure on men to act and behave a certain way, for example: to be tough, not to show any emotions, be the breadwinner, always be in control, use violence to solve problems and have many sexual partners.

By using the research from the Men’s Project, the boys explored how society has placed young men into the ‘Man Box’ and learnt about the impact and harm the pressure to conform to society’s stereotypical ideals of masculinity has on males and their relationships.

Research has found that if we can educate boys to recognise and understand the implications of the ‘Man Box’ we can go a long way in improving their physical and mental health, plus their ability to build healthy relationships with women. Sadly, evidence shows that it is men whose behaviour mirrors the principles of the ‘Man Box’ who are at higher risk of poor health and harmful behaviours such as violence and sexual harassment. During the lessons, teachers promoted positive strategies boys can adopt to step outside the ‘Man Box’. They also encouraged boys to model the character traits of courage, empathy and kindness to allow them to truly be themselves with increased self-confidence and self-esteem.

By looking at the ‘Man Box’ first, it easily allowed the boys to grasp the lessons around respectful relationships with females looking at - “What constitutes sexual harassment?” and “The impact objectification of women has on both males and females.” These lessons will lead into the Term 2 unit – “Human Sexuality within a Catholic Ethos”, which covers topics such as sexual intimacy and the risks associated with it, the context of healthy relationships, and consent and pregnancy.

Mr Dempsey invited Constable Care’s Youth Choices to come to my school on Monday and present a play to a number of groups of students that talked about the topic of bullying.

The play was performed at the McCappian theatre by a group of four Youth Choices’ performers aged in their 20’s.

Youth Choices is a group of performers that encourage young people to speak up about problems in their life that affect their mental health and wellbeing. They help kids by putting on different plays that show how to deal with different situations that could harm a young person’s wellbeing.

The play we saw was called 'Isolation'. In my opinion, the Youth Choices performers did an excellent job of presenting this play. In the play, they show the audience situations where the characters are in distress and ask the audience how to help the character work through their problems. They made me think more about how my actions or inactions can hurt people.

I had the opportunity to go on stage and display some supportive strategies that I knew about. I learnt that these were good strategies as the audience and presenters clapped and cheered at the end of my performance. Something new I learnt from the play was the important skill of how to suggest to someone who needs it the process of contacting a helpline.

This presentation was important as it highlighted the problem of bullying and its effects. Everyone who attended the performance should have gained knowledge and strategies about how to deal with bullying. My hope would be that our school will see a reduction in bullying and an increase of students supporting each other.

A goal of 2020 was to expand the after-school options for Middle School Students.

Recognising that not every student is a passionate sportsman, the College wanted to offer more art and design activities while still providing sport to those inclined. Term 3 saw the test of Monday afternoon co-curricular activities. The success of this trial will see the project rolled out in full in 2021.

Sprint Technique Training

Knowing I wanted to improve my speed when the athletic development options were released, I knew I needed to pick Sprint Technique Training. This type of training works on your sprinting technique and improves your speed through lots of different drills so that you can become a faster competitor.

Sprint Technique sessions usually start off by doing multiple sprint technique drills and skills to improve a range of things like your knee drive and balance. After this, we got into some short run-throughs where we can put all of our practice into work. I found these pieces of training really fun and beneficial for my running and will definitely help me in the future.

Sprint training is also very beneficial for any sports you are currently or going to be playing later on in your life. If you are deciding whether you should give this activity a try or not, I strongly recommend doing Sprint Technique Training, because it is an activity that anyone is capable of doing and will only offer positive impacts on yourself.

• Brayden Atwell

Gyotaku Fish

This term the school gave us an option to try a co-curricular subject instead of sport, and I thought I would give the Japanese fish printing (Gyotaku) a go.

Now, l know that it sounds weird and disgusting but this form of art is fascinating and can create beautiful artworks. Each lesson Ms Hughes brought a dead fish (the types ranged from Snapper, Barramundi and Red Emperor) and we paint them with ink. We used different colours of ink from black, pink to blue and used them to create prints on paper which are then hung on the wall. We also free drew coral and other ocean scenes on paper.

I was surprised how fun this co-curricular subject was and I love all the bright colours of the inks, they make the room so bright. I enjoyed the fish printing because it gives us an insight into a different form of Japanese art that we have never heard of before, let alone seen. Some of the challenges we faced are getting a good print and getting the perfect amount of ink. I would highly suggest that you come down and give this co-curricular subject a go.

• Fred Johnson
  

Drumline

The range of fantastic options for co-curricular activities Aquinas has offered this term was endless, but in the end, I chose to do the drumline.

The Middle School drumline is a programme that teaches students of all drumming abilities to enhance their snare drum skills and experience a variety of different drums, such as the bass or tenor. Students in the drumline got to perform with an ensemble in a way that is completely different and unique from everything they have learnt before. The reason I picked the course is because I was intrigued by videos I had seen online and because I wanted to be a part of a drum only ensemble so I could learn from the drummers around me.

I enjoyed the drumline for a countless number of reasons but some of them include the experience playing on different kinds of drums, learning new techniques to play the snare drum, coming up with creative beats and bars for songs, and playing with and learning from the teachers and students. The drumline was a very new experience for me as, before this, I was predominantly a kit drummer and hadn’t properly mastered playing in a group. At the start, I perhaps tried too hard to listen to those around me and therefore becoming out of sync with the other drummers. But as I continued to learn in this group, I can hopefully improve my skills slowly to a point where I can successfully stay in sync with others, while not forgetting that I still have to play the drums as well!

All in all, the drumline allows me to experience a unique musical ensemble, with group members of all skills that encourage and help, along with talented and engaging teachers to guide us. The Middle School drumline is looking forward to their performance next week and has greatly appreciated this opportunity provided by the College.

• Gabe Maund
  

The journey from seeing the world through a child’s eyes to understanding your place in the world as a young adult with responsibilities is a complex and meaningful transition.

At Aquinas College, we acknowledge this life-changing ‘rite of passage’ is too important to leave to chance, hence the creation and introduction of the Year 9 Odyssey Program in 2019. This is a structured curriculum designed for self-development and personal transformation for an innocent and dependent child into a mature responsible adult.

Throughout Year 9, boys undertake a variety of lessons, are provided with a range of challenges and partake in public rituals that are a symbolic outward display of the inner transformation boys go through. The first public ritual was earlier this term on the Monday of Exeat weekend when parents and sons came into the College to celebrate the commencement ceremony, a liturgy that acknowledged the personal Odyssey journey each Year 9 boy will undertake.

There are four main focuses the Odyssey Program has in educating a boy to transition into a good man:

1. Who am I? – Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” So, it is vitally important that boys moving into manhood, need to know themselves intimately. To assist learning more about themselves the Odyssey Program is structured with a variety of in-class activities providing opportunities for boys to reflect on their life, family, culture, personal strengths and weaknesses.
2. What is the ‘Man Box’ and How Does it Affect me? – The ‘Man Box’ is the set of beliefs within and across society, that stereotype masculinity and place pressure on men to act and behave a certain way. The Odyssey Program promotes positive strategies boys can adopt to step outside the ‘Man Box’. Boys are encouraged to model the character traits of courage, empathy and kindness to allow them to truly be themselves with increased self-confidence and self-esteem.
3. How to Relate Respectfully to Females? – With the recent shocking media reports highlighting the sexual assault of teenage girls and women by students and alumni of single-sex boys’ schools, it is reassuring to know that we have been on the front foot in providing boys with the skills and knowledge to foster respectful relationships. Since the Odyssey Programs inception in 2019, boys are taught:
   • What constitutes sexual harassment?
   • The impact objectification of women has on both males and females.
   • Human Sexuality, sexual intimacy and the risks associated with it, consent and pregnancy.
   • A key aspect of the Odyssey Program is its purpose of heightening the awareness of boys in understanding their responsibilities in respecting themselves and displaying dignity and respect for women at all times.
4. Building Character by Overcoming Challenges. – Throughout the year boys will be placed into situations and environments that will be uncomfortable for anyone let alone an adolescent boy. In Term 2 boys undertake an intense 5 weeks of dance rehearsals to learn a routine to be performed in front of family, friends and other members of the Aquinas community. In Term 4 boys will face the majority of the challenges when, during their two-week Odyssey Adventure, they will need to draw upon all their strength, willpower and courage to sail on the Leeuwin for a 3-day voyage, hike 23km without adult assistance and sleep alone in a tent overnight in bushland 150kms out of Perth.

As a key component of Character Education at the College, the Odyssey Program aims to develop in boys the positive character traits of courage, perseverance, gratitude, service, fortitude, respectfulness, self-discipline, and responsibility. The Odyssey Program is overt and crystal clear in identifying what is acceptable behaviour for boys transitioning into young men and graduates from Aquinans.

Have Sum Fun Maths is a competition in which teams of 6 face 4 rounds of mathematical problems and challenges.

With 20 minutes per round, it is a very exciting and fast-paced competition. In our heat, there were 32 teams. Aquinas had two teams in the Year 9-10 competition, both of which placed very high. One team, consisting of Jonathan Vinci, Matthew Vinci, Samuel Yeow, Nishok Nimalan, David Csontos and David Stopforth, placed 3^rd overall. The other team also had a strong performance in the Year 9-10 division, placing 16^th. Aquinas also put forward teams in the Year 7-8 and 11-12 competitions, who did very well.

Personally, I really enjoyed this competition, as it allowed me to bond with my friends and meet new people. It allowed me to expand my mathematical knowledge in a fun yet challenging way, through difficult questions with limited time. Overall, the Have Sum Fun Maths competition was an enjoyable and challenging experience, allowing us to learn new things in a fun environment.

Service is a great way to connect with the community and get to know people.

The rush of endorphins after completing an hour or more of service is unrivalled, plus you are contributing to a good cause, whether it be through planting trees and digging up invasive species on the Mt. Henry Peninsula, raising awareness for MND at Marathons, collecting money for Cancer Research in the city or ridding our beautiful beaches of rubbish.

My name is Charlie Backhouse and over the past 2 years at Aquinas, I have completed over 60 hours of service and am aiming to reach 100 hours by the end of Year 9. Through all the service I’ve completed at this College, my favourite service activity is the Beach Clean-Up. I love getting up early in the morning on a Saturday, driving down to Leighton or Port Beach and feeling the sea breeze, hearing the seagulls squawking, knowing that I’m positively contributing to the longevity of some of Western Australia’s most beautiful beaches. Not only this but some of the things we find are just a bit strange. Last weekend, some of the boys stumbled across a keg of cider about 1/3 full, others found a bikini top and Mr Rich claims he stumbled across the best find of the day – a rubber banana. Some of the normal finds included beer bottles, plastic bags and utensils and the occasional cigarette bud and lighter. This is a photo of the boys once we had completed our service hours:

A few students in the Middle School failed to complete a minimum of 10 hours last year. Boys, If you don’t know where to sign up for service, go to level 1 of Mt. Sion and I’m sure there will be plenty of open spots for you.

Were your PE classes this cool? Because ours are. 😎

PE and Outdoor Ed classes are more than just playing a sport, they seek to improve performance and fitness while teaching students survival and life skills. Students learn about the skeletal, muscular, cardio-respiratory and energy systems, investigate the various methods of training, and are involved in fitness activities and skills for physical activity.

In Senior School, classes can add towards ATAR or be used to gain certifications.

A term that new Aquinas students become promptly familiar with is the CAT – abbreviation for Common Assessment Task.

Essentially, a CAT is the ‘test’ that students sit once they have completed a topic in class and have spent time revising and preparing. Each core learning area prepares and sets a CAT each term in Middle School in Weeks 7-8 (CATs are less routine in Senior School courses) as part of the Middle School term rhythm.

Why do we have CATs?

CATs are an important assessment tool that gives both student, parent and teacher information and feedback on how the learning of a particular topic or timeframe is tracking. They are an opportunity for students to put into practice what skills and content they have covered in class and demonstrate what they have learnt. Most importantly, the CATs are an opportunity for students to learn from their marked assessments, and to review what they accomplished well and not so well in the lessons.

How can we navigate exam stress?

Staff understand that the CAT weeks can be an anxious time for our students. To help reduce stress and concerns, students should prepare by using the course Success Criteria as a proforma to write quality revision notes. This will improve the recall and understanding of the material covered in lessons and alert the student if he needs clarification from his teacher for certain content. Parents can assist by asking to read their son’s notes at home and by testing them on the current Success Criteria (these documents can be found on SEQTA course pages).

Due to a shorter Term 1, the CAT weeks will be scheduled one week earlier. We wish your son success in the upcoming Middle School CATs.