From the Co-curricular Department

Please click HERE to view the Junior School Sports Reports - Term 1 Weeks 6 & 7.

Please click HERE to view the Senior School Sports Reports - Term 1 Weeks 6 & 7.

Last weekend 20 of our Rowers competed at Head of the River, the final and biggest event on the school rowing calendar. The event was held at the West Lakes' Alex Ramsey regatta course, with over 10,000 athletes, coaches, spectators and parents in attendance.

The Saint Ignatius’ College rowing crew achieved some stellar results:

• Senior Girls Crew consisting of Lily Burgess, Caitlin Anderson, Grace Pertl, Ruby McGuire and cox Ruby Corso, coached by Head Coach Matthew Walker, won a silver medal in the A final, for the first time in Ignatius Rowing history.
• Senior Boys Crew consisting of James Evans, Aleksander Stankiewicz, Oliver Gallo, John Dwyer and coxxed by Levi Villios, were coached by Old Ignatians Solenn Kervin and Seamus Adams and achieved 7th in the SB 1st 4+.
• Inters Girls crew consisted of Evie Gleghorn, Lucia Venturin, Lillian Wang, Reika Ramos and coxed by Khyara Brine and coached by Old Ignatian Violet Rosser, came 1st in their B final, winning by 13.8 seconds.
• Junior Boys squad, consisting of Jack Pontt, Tommy Lockwood, Harry Tydeman, Peter Higgins and coxed by Ruby McGuire were coached by Old Ignatian Pietro Totani, won their B final by achieving a 6 second PR.
• In Reserve Singles races, Adam Leach and Ruby Corso, placed 2nd and 4th place respectively.

All the rowers should be very proud of their races on the day and their commitment to rowing throughout the season. The Junior Boys have been chasing the elusive sub 4 minute race time and were able to achieve a time of 3:58.99. The Senior Girls achieved a 55 second lead against an opposition crew they had been chasing across the season.

The Senior Boys shaved a total of 30 seconds off their crew time over the course of the season.

The Head of the River dinner was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the growth and achievements of our rowers this season and to thank the SIC Rowing community for their unwavering support.

The following students were recognised for their contributions and achievements this season:

Junior Boys

• Most Valuable Rower - Jack Pontt
• Loyola - Peter Higgins

Inter Girls

• Most Valuable Rower - Lillian Wang
• Loyola - Evie Gleghorn

Senior Boys

• Most Valuable Rower - James Evans
• Loyola - Levi Villios

Senior Girls

• Most Valuable Rower - Caitlin Anderson
• Loyola - Grace Pertl

Special Awards

• Biggest PB of the Season - Caitlin Anderson
• Best First Year Rower - Tommy Lockwood
• Coxswain Awards - Ruby McGuire

Significant Awards

• Best Male Rower - James Evans
• Best Female Rower - Lily Burgess
• Most outstanding Contribution to Rowing - Ruby McGuire

This was the graduating Head of the River for Adam Leach, Aleksander Stankiewicz and John Dwyer. We wish them all the best and hope to see them continue their involvement in rowing.

We are very proud of everything the SIC Rowing team have achieved this season and look forward to a strong future of the program.

Matthew Walker
Rowing Program Leader

State Athletics Championship

The State Athletics Championships over the last two weekends have brought great success for our Ignatian Athletes. Over 3 days of competition, there were many personal bests recorded and some amazing results against outstanding opposition.

Lily Whiteman performed strongly across a number of events coming second in the U16 Long Jump, second in the U16 90m Hurdles and then winning the gold medal on the last jump of the competition in the U16 Triple Jump.

Tehan Arachchi Appuhamilage Don made the final in his 200m race and won a bronze medal in the U17 Long Jump.

Eva Di Iulio ran her best race of the season to bring home the gold medal in the 400m Hurdles.

Jayden Cooray raced superbly to finish 4^th in the U16 100m final and to win the gold medal in the U16 400m event which was a superb result.

Lola Whiteman performed brilliantly winning three gold medals in the U14 Triple Jump, Hurdles and Long Jump.

Josh Kavanagh also performed well across his track events, winning a silver medal in the U16 3000m, a bronze medal in the U16 1500m and placing 6^th in the 800m.

Lily Roberts ran well against some tough opposition to win a bronze medal in the U20 3000m.

Tom Kavanagh also performed well to win the bronze medal in the U20 3000m.

Isabelle Cherry was rewarded for her hard work throughout the season and showed what a dominant athlete she is by winning gold medals in the U15 Discus, U17 Discus, silver in the U15 Javelin and gold in the U15 Shot Put as well as the U17 Shot Put.

Catholic Coeducational Athletics Carnival

This year’s much anticipated CoEd Athletics Carnival saw nearly 90 athletes travel to Mile End to represent Saint Ignatius’ College on the track and in the field. Having not had our own Athletics Carnival yet, selections for the event were based on previous performances and training efforts.

There were a number of standout athletes who were coming primed to compete after just finishing the Athletics State Championships. Lola Whiteman, Lily Whiteman, Eva Di Iulio, Tehan Arachchi Appuhamilage Don, Jayden Cooray, Tom Kavanagh, Josh Kavanagh, Alex Kavanagh, Lily Roberts and Isabelle Cherry competed in many events and were great role models for all of our competitors.

Captains of Athletics, Eva Di Iulio and Leo Thomson were excellent leaders on the day, not only competing in many events but also in encouraging the younger athletes and assisting with organisation of the large team.

Lily McBain, Martha Roberts, Ella Victory-McAuley, Seb Cherry, Aislynn Lobo, Emily Polyak, Henry Butler and Rafael Rivera worked hard in the younger age groups across many different disciplines and they demonstrated that the future of athletics at the College is in good hands as they recorded personal bests and podium finishes.

At the end of the day, the Open athletes were announced as winners of their age group shield and the College placed second overall to Mercedes College. Thanks, in particular to Mrs Freeman who managed the team on the day and coached during the term. Thanks also to all the coaches who have put in many hours of work at training – Steve McBain, Di Ferguson and Don Brown.

Miriam Doyle
Teacher-in-charge of Athletics

The aerobics squad at the College has been working hard all term. Last Friday, 15 March, the entire squad participated in a strength session led by special guest coach, Laura Halikias, a strength and fitness coach with a specialty in HIIT and strength training. Student formation opportunities, such as this one, are a key element of our training program at the College to ensure our Aerobics athletes can compete at the highest level in their sport.

The girls arrived excited, yet a little apprehensive, but it was a delight to see the commitment and motivation demonstrated by our athletes as they navigated their way through the workout. For some of our athletes, this was their first training session of this type; nevertheless, every single girl gave it their very best. They were lucky enough to have the expertise of our amazing aerobics coaches throughout the session. Our coaches, along with Laura, worked with the girls to correct technique and ensure they were moving safely and effectively. It was certainly a fantastic strength building opportunity, and our squad left feeling enthusiastic and re-energised, albeit very sore!

With trials now behind us, each team is very busy learning choreography and commencing its preparation towards the first round of competition early in Term Two. FISAF Australia has provided us with a new platform of performance opportunities, and all members of the Senior School Aerobics squad are eager to showcase their skills and passion in this vibrant sport.

Emma Toker
Teacher in Charge of Aerobics

Recently, our Innovative Technologies co-curricular team had the privilege of participating in an insightful Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Education workshop tailored specifically for our staff.

Dr. Nick Jackson, a prominent figure in this field who recently shared his expertise as a key speaker at the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning conference at UniSA, led the workshop.

During the workshop, we explored the myriad of possibilities AI offers, recognising its potential not only as an instructional tool but also as a catalyst for fostering critical and creative thinking among our students. Dr. Jackson provided us with numerous strategies and prompts for effectively integrating AI into our educational practice.

A pivotal takeaway from the workshop was the concept of AI as a 'critical friend.' Rather than viewing AI as a substitute for humans, we were encouraged to perceive it as a supportive ally, enhancing our teaching strategies and engaging our students in new and exciting ways.

Furthermore, the workshop shed light on the diverse range of AI applications tailored specifically for educational settings, offering opportunities to customise and differentiate learning activities to meet the unique needs of each student. This sparked valuable discussions among our educators, including considerations on how to mitigate risks associated with AI use and educate our students on responsible technology usage.

This insightful workshop has inspired the Innovative Technologies co-curricular team to continually improve our programs for students Currently, our offerings encompass a diverse array of activities including robotics, coding, rocket building, photography and iTV, involving visual storytelling and multimedia projects tailored for students from Year 4 to 12. We will also be offering immersive experiences for our high-achieving students, who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

Lee McNamara
Innovative Technologies Program Leader