Hello for anybody who didn’t already know my name is Eli Saratsis and I was a year in the 2021.
I will be recording some of the ways I used collaboration, communication and much more from my year as a year 7.
Term 1
I was excited for the year to come as it would be my first in the senior school. I had just finished year 6 leader so I would want to use my learning and skills from then to now. On the first day of school I go to meet my class teacher and the other kids in my homeroom. I got to know then quickly because I am a very social person and so I don’t get nervous when I talk to someone that I don’t know or haven’t met. This helped me through the year as I had established positive relationships with my classmates and teacher. My teacher Mr Rouse was great and it turned out we had a lot in common, we both went to run club, enjoy playing AFL and more. This was good because then I would have a positive relationship with one of my teachers that I do a lot with.
One of the major events in the first term was the Swimming Carnival. This was a great opportunity because I got to cheer on my fellow house mates with supportive and encouraging phrases. The day was lots of fun and I got to collaborate/communicate with other Stirling students out of year 7. This is good because I will see then again for things such as peer support, Interhouse sport etc. In the end Stirling came 2nd but I took lots of memorable experiences from it that i will use in the future.
During the first term my class of 7Z went on our first camp together. This camp was made so you could get to know your new classmates going into your first year of senior school. We were put into groups that weren’t are preference so we could get to know other people that we would usually collaborate with. I enjoyed this because it meant I got to communicate with other people then what I usually did. Some of the activities that we did were tunnelling, bushwalking, making handshakes, making my own dinner and much more. All of these activities taught me lessons about how important communication, organisation and collaboration is. Even though this camp was only for one night it taught lots of lessons and gave me lots of experiences that I will be sure to use in the future.
My first term of senior school was a blast and I cant wait for term 2!
Term 2
The start of the second term was a big opportunity for me as I received the role of Service Captain. This was great because I got to contribute to the school in lots of ways and help out with charitable events. Some of the things I was involved with are: reading out lines during chapel, helping out with the parish food drive, a Christmas charity and much more. This was great because I was able to give back some goodness to my school world and beyond.
During the early stages of the first term I was given another chance to prove my house spirit as the Cross Country Carnival came along. This was a day of fun where everyone got to cheer on their house mates and earn points from running. It was a great day for my house Stirling and myself. This is because I received first place for my year group and my house came first overall! As our house was called out as the Champion we ere all so pumped as we had won our first major carnival of the year. Everyone felt really great and couldn’t wait for next year to come around.
Leading on from the All Saints Cross Country there was also the Interschool competition. This was good fun as it was my first time competing in such an event in the senior school. Our school was pumped and ready to get going. We cheered on our friends and fellow All Saints as they crossed the finish line on matter what they placed. When it came to my race I was a bit nervous but once it started it was good. I ended up coming 6th place which I was proud of. Even though our school didn’t win anything we still showed great spirit and had a good time.
During ConnectEd, a program ran through school I was given the opportunity to try out circus. I found that circus was really fun and I got into juggling straight away. Myself and Astrid Ravn started practising different types of juggling which was fun. We got to perform what we had learnt to grandparents during Grandparents Day. This was good because the Grandparents got to see their grandchildren performing which would of made them feel happy. It was also good for us because we got to show of some of our skills. Overall I think that it was good to try juggling because it was a fun thing to do and I learnt lots from it.
My first semester was great and I can’t wait for the second one.
Term 3
The 3rd term greatly revolved around sport as I had my first State Cross-Country competition. The event was remade as we were going to go to Adelaide but ended up down south as covid-19 was a problem. It was still an amazing trip as I got to collaborate with students that I wouldn’t during normal school hours. I also communicated with the staff and got to know them well with helped bond a healthy relationship. Overall the experience was great and I had a great time.
Soon after the Athletics carnival came around and the house spirit came back alive. It was another chance to encourage fellow students to do their best and earn points for their house. It was a day where if you didn’t enjoy running you could do other events such as the throws or the jumps. This helped people have a great time no matter their skill level. On and of the field you could earn points for the sprit cup was able to be won. Overall Stirling won and I came first for my year level. This felt great, especially for the year 12s and it was their last Interhouse competition. Overall it was a fun day for everyone no matter who you were.
Following the Athletics Carnival the interschool one came around. This was great as we got to travel to the WA state athletics centre which was amazing. Everyone there had a great time and we got into the school spirit. Even though it was pouring down with rain everyone showed resilience and ran, jumped or through against the wet weather. Even though it was wet it was a good opportunity and I’m sure next year will be just as fun.
My third term was a blast and I’m sure my last one of year 7 will be awesome.
Term 4
I started off the year with a science excursion to Adventure World. This was so we could learn about gears, axels, levers and friction while having lots of fun at the same time. We went round on loads of different types of rides and made data on each one. The catch was that if the work booklet wasn’t filled out then you couldn’t have any free time at the end. This made everyone work hard to get the end result. This showed one of the 7 habits begin with the end in mind. In the end the whole day was awesome and it proved the point that you can have fun and work at the same time!
During the middle section of the term my year went on a 3 night camp down to Forest Edge. This camp was designed to get people out of their comfort zone and take on new challenges. The facility was amazing being a 2 storey building with an indoor basketball court nest to the cafeteria. We got to sleep in tents and dorms which was great fun. The dorms were chosen for you but we got to choose who went in the tents with us. My favourite part about camp was the hike. This was because even though it was tough to travel through the land the reward was amazing. We got to do a Mud fight. It was a massive free for all zone where even the teachers got involved. So when we walked to our tents we all had smiling faces as we continued to think of how great it was. Overall camp was amazing and I enjoyed every moment of it.
As the year drew to a close our class decided to have a bit of fun with a class party and a dodgeball tournament. The class party was great as we got to bring in loads of treats to eat during class and we got to play silent ball which was a class favourite. We also got to do a dodgeball tournament. This was a set up of a class vs class competition with finals and everything. It was close but our class ended up taking out the win! This was great and our class was so hyped. It was also great because I won MVP for the competition. After that it brang us with the last couple days to spend time with each other. We ended up taking lots of class photos to remember the year 7Z class that we were.