Towards ���� And Beyond
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WE HAVE BEEN AGILE AND FOCUSED ON OUR PRINCIPLES THROUGHOUT 2020 IN A YEAR THAT REQUIRED US TO BE NIMBLE ON ALMOST A DAILY BASIS.
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Our community have had a very positive response to our presentation of Towards 2021 and Beyond. In line with our commitment to keeping families well updated with what’s happening at Southern Cross Grammar, we are pleased to provide this summary for you to enjoy and reflect on over the 2020 break. MATT DODD PRINCIPAL
We have been agile and focused on our principles throughout 2020 in a year that required us to be nimble on almost a daily basis. As a school with a capacity to be adaptive and committed to put our people first, we are confident in our ability to do this again, when required, in the future. While managing immediate needs in 2020, our staff also spent considerable time behind the scenes ensuring we had a coordinated, strategic and high impact response to ensuring students’ recovery in wellness and learning that may have resulted from a year with so many transitions. Academically, as described throughout the booklet, there are obvious and impactful measures in place. Some of these include small classes in the Senior School, extra support for individual abilities throughout the school in line with our commitment to personalisation, through to extra support staff for our Foundation students in 2021. In order to maximise learning, students’ social, emotional and physical health also needs to be a priority, now, more than never. The multi-dimensional improvements and strengthening of our wellbeing offerings from F-12 are timely and strategic. These include an expansion of our Health and PE programs across the school—in terms of time and pathways (electives)—increases in resources both in buildings and equipment— most noticeably our Sport Science Centre opening in 2021—as well as increased activities planned across recess and lunch times. We have integrated and audited the best aspects of Positive Psych and New Generation Learning (NGL) as part of strengthening our F-12 wellbeing curriculum. The well-researched and celebrated Resilience Project is a timely and important addition to the program in 2021 to support each student. Furthermore, we have expanded our year level leaders to further support students and families, including appointing Heads of Year in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 for the first time in our school’s history. This has already proven valuable as we began the important transition process across all year levels in SCG during our orientation programs in Term 4.
In doing so, we have begun the process of knowing each child in these year levels for their individual strengths and weaknesses. Building works have already commenced on-site with The Centauri Project and a number of small projects, as published in this summary. We feel very fortunate to be in a position to provide such great improvements for our students and to be able to look forward together to bright 2021 and 2022 school years. With the year at a close, we thank and farewell the following staff for their service to our school, students and families, and wish them every success for their future endeavours. • Julie Baud • Casey Ferris • Eleanor Horton • Brylee McNamara • Aarti Ram We also take this opportunity to congratulate Michael Jolly on his retirement. We wish him all the very best in the new chapter for him and his family. Furthermore, with an expansion to Wellbeing, Maths, English and PE, and the associated increased choices of electives and smaller classes in the Senior School, we have been busy attracting the very best talent to join our capable team at Southern Cross Grammar. • Jonathan Lake: Head of English • Jacinta Murrihy: Head of Additional Needs • Sarah Cooper: Head of Applied Learning and Mathematics teacher • Rene Grobler: Mathematics teacher • Dr Laura Rovetto: English and Humanities teacher • Louis Martin: Primary School PE teacher In a year where managing a pandemic would have been more than many could have managed, I’d like to acknowledge the outstanding commitment and work ethic of our staff both in the classroom and behind the scenes in preparing for the exciting plans that we have been able to share with you at the conclusion of this year. Wishing everyone a safe and joyous summer break. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.
Matt Dodd Principal 3
COMPHRENSIVE STUDENT WELLBEING 2021 Dean of Wellbeing and Pedagogy Student Counsellor Wellbeing Head of Additional Needs Positive Education
Wellbeing (Curriculum) The Resilience Project
First Aid Centre
Two Nurses
Increased Physical Education
Comprehensive Student Wellbeing 2021
Physical Health and Physical Wellbeing
Improved Wellbeing Curriculum F-12
Facilities Sport Science Centre
Learning Mentors
Student Voice and Feedback
Camps and Outdoor Education
Schoolbox
Student Leadership SKODEL
OUR STAFF HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME BEHIND THE SCENES ENSURING WE HAVE A COORDINATED, STRATEGIC AND HIGH IMPACT RESPONSE TO ENSURING A RECOVERY IN STUDENTS’ WELLNESS AND LEARNING AFTER A YEAR WITH SO MANY TRANSITIONS. 4
Increased Physical Education staff
Staffing
THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL IMPROVEMENTS AND STRENGTHENING OF OUR WELLBEING OFFERINGS FROM F-12 ARE TIMELY AND STRATEGIC.
The Future of Wellbeing at Southern Cross Grammar in 2021 and Beyond Wellbeing will remain at the forefront as we look ahead to 2021.
DEBORAH HOLLIS DEAN OF WELLBEING AND PEDAGOGY
We have commenced planning to ensure that we have an integrated and collective support network for each student at SCG for years to come. Student care will take many forms and provide many layers that underpin a framework to support physical, mental and social wellbeing in each facet of student life. On the curriculum front we have more Physical Education and allocated Wellbeing Classes each week, through which we will have such exciting initiatives as The Resilience Project, Cyber citizenship and safety, personal health and pathways as focus areas across Years F-12. This allocated time also provides us with regular opportunities to gather together as a whole school or year level to ensure students feel connected and celebrated. As one of the first schools in Victoria to use the Skodel wellbeing check-in application, we will have progressive data that will assist us in being pro-active in our strategies for care and learning. To learn more about Skodel, click here. To view what Skodel looks like from a student’s experience, click here.
throughout the year and students have an avenue to seek advice and support. Our new Select Entry programs and the appointments of a Head of Personalised Learning and Head of Additional Needs will increase the focus on personalised learning and high performance; not only for those who need extra support but to ensure the academic growth for our highest achievers. We will also be investing in professional development for our teachers in 2021, as we strive to make the teaching practices at SCG not only engaging and impactful but based on the latest research both locally and internationally. Our new Heads of Year levels will be working together with myself and teachers to provide the highest level of student care, and bring all the above initiatives together in what will be a bright future for each member of the SCG community in 2021.
As we look at pedagogy and student learning, the introduction of Learning Mentors in Years 7-12 will provide a way to ensure that the academic progress of each student is being monitored continuously 5
THE
CENTAURI
PROJECT
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THE CENTAURI PROJECT REPRESENTS AN EXPANSION OF OUR STUDENT CENTRED APPROACH TO PROVIDING THE BEST FACILITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF TO WORK AND LEARN TOGETHER, 7
THE YEAR 12 COMMON ROOM
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THE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE
THE CENTAURI PROJECT The Centauri Project represents an expansion of our student centred approach to providing the best facilities for our students and staff to work and learn together, and is our school’s most significant and ambitious project to date. Due to launch in 2022, The Centauri Project is a modern and multipurpose building that supports our school’s commitment to the creative and performing arts (in particular our school’s interest in high performance in music) and allows us to expand our offerings in STEM and other learning areas across the school. With a significant arts centre, 400-seat auditorium and Health and PE space, an expansive senior centre in addition to libraries, cafes and senior classrooms, The Centauri Project is a fantastic investment in our school community and will provide a tertiary environment for our VCE students as they prepare for their bright futures beyond SCG. 9
THE SIDE VIEW OF THE NEW BUILDING FROM BECCA WAY AND GOURLAY ROAD
THE CENTAURI PROJECT’S FEATURES •
A significant state-of-the-art Senior Centre with large VCE classrooms, a Year 12 common room and large VCE examination rooms to provide a pre-tertiary environment for our VCE students.
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A 400 seat auditorium that doubles as a gym space for music concerts, performances, assemblies, events, information evenings and Health and Physical Education during extreme weather.
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Drama, music tutorial, rehersal and workshop areas for students to learn and perform in exciting new spaces, and to be supported in their commitment to their studies.
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A Studio Art room, Visual Communication Design room and VCE Art room for students to design and create in creative spaces.
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A Library and Resource Centre for students to study before and after school, and during school hours. We will also have an English Teacher/Librarian and a Mathematics tutor in the facilities to assist students with their work.
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8 general 70m2 classrooms for students and staff to learn and collaborate.
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A tertiary level Cert III compliant commercial training kitchen with an adjoining 50-seat restaurant and cafe that allows us to provide a tertiary experience of VET Cert III Kitchen and VET Cert III Hospitalities, expand our Food Technology offerings across Foundation-Year 12, and allows us to welcome families for events at our school.
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Alumni spaces as part of our commitment to our growing Alumni community.
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FIRST FLOOR APPROACHING THE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTRE, ARTS FACILITIES AND THE PERFORMING ARTS SPACES
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WHY THE CENTAURI PROJECT? The Centauri Project is named after the two prominent pointer stars that sit to the side of the Southern Cross constellation: Alpha and Beta Centauri. Used by many communities and multiple generations over centuries to navigate a safe way forward, the dual stars represent the major gains of our new building, namely the state-of-the-art senior centre and the creative and performing arts centre. Forming the feet of the Centaurus constellation, one of the largest and brightest constellations in the sky, The Centauri Project also lends its name to Centaurus, named after the teacher of Hercules and other mythological heroes. We also feel The Centauri Project represents our commitment to teaching and preparing our students for the bright futures that lay before them. 12
THE 400-SEAT AUDITORIUM
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EXPANSIONS AND UPDATES
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The Centauri Project also allows us to reimagine our current wonderful facilities and to expand our offerings in STEM, and provide expansive homes for our Years 7-9 students including hubs and kitchen facilities. With the recent expansion of the Primary Years to include our Years 5 and 6 students to upgrading the Learning Resource Centre into the former Junior School Hub, we are excited to build capacity and expand our facilities with the addition of a Sport Science Centre and upgrading our laboratories in time for the 2021 academic year. In 2022 our current VCE building will become a privileged space for our Years 8 and 9 students to meet and collaborate both in and out of the classroom. We will also transform the indoor garden beside the VCE building into an outdoor kitchen so Years 8 and 9 students can use it as part of their outdoor facilities. Our 2022 Year 7 students will also have a common room in the second floor of the Middle School building (the size of our previous Junior School Hub) to connect with one another. We will also introduce kitchenettes for the student cohort as well to use, and manage as they prepare to use the other expansive facilities that await them as they progress through their Secondary Years. •
2 updated laboratories
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Middle Years STEM room
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Sport Science Centre
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Junior School reception
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First Aid room
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Locker upgrades
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Shade sails
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Junior School library
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MIDDLE YEARS STEM ROOM TWO UPDATED LABORATORIES We will be expanding our current laboratories to become state-of-the-art spaces fit for Senior Biology and Senior Chemistry over the holiday break in preparation for the 2021 academic year. With updated and upgraded audiovisual and multimedia resources, flexible furniture to cater to a dynamic working and learning space, interactive projectors for students to collaborate and save their work, and increased access to cutting edge scientific resources, our current laboratories will increase in capacity to cater to our students who are passionate about STEM.
Our Primary School students have a great advantage of being at Southern Cross Grammar and having their STEM skills developed in their early schooling years. To further support our younger students in nurturing their passion for STEM, we are also upgrading one of our double classrooms in the upstairs Middle School building to be a permanent Middle Years STEM room for students in time for the 2021 school year.
By 2022, we will have four state-of-the-art laboratories in our school. Over the 2021 summer holidays, as we finalise our plans to launch The Centauri Project in 2022, we will transform the current Art room in the Middle School building into a STEM laboratory. The current Music room in the Middle School and STEM room beside it will be merged together to become one large, extensive facility for an electronics and engineering lab. Doing this will support our Engineering pathways leading to VCE Systems Engineering being offered in Units 1 and 2 in 2022.
FIRST AID ROOM AND LOCKER UPGRADES We are updating more built-in lockers for students and expanding our first aid room to be included beside reception with more space and updated facilities. Having the expanding First Aid room beside the reception will assist families with picking up their sick child and will provide one home for First Aid in 2021.
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SPORT SCIENCE CENTRE There will be a 110m2 Sport Science Room launched in 2021. At SCG, we view Health and PE as an essential part of learning as it leads to pathways such as sports science, Physiotherapy and other professional careers. Our Sport Science Centre will focus on fitness (in terms of cardiovascular and strengthening supported by equipment such as exercise bikes and weights) and will be supported by technology and data logging (to look at things such as carbon dioxide rates, heart rate, lactic level rates and more). As well as wanting our students to enjoy Health and PE, we also want to include technological and scientific elements to our facilities and students’ learning as we prepare them for the varied and the sophisticated career pathways that wait them in the future.
JUNIOR SCHOOL RECEPTION From 2021, families and visitors to Southern Cross Grammar will be greeted by a new, elegant and improved reception area. The new reception area will allow us to have airlocks throughout the reception to greet families and visitors in a more efficient way. More importantly, we are also installing a second door at reception so that those who are welcomed at reception do not have easy access to our students and staff, creating safety and security for our learning community.
SHADE SAILS As we undertake The Centauri Project, we will be installing shade sails across our campus so students can have extra sheltered spaces during the school day and break times.
TUTORIAL ROOMS AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING We are trialling university style, flexible learning tutorial spaces in 2021. Doing this allows our teachers greater choice on how to teach depending on the content they are delivering to students, and gives our students greater freedoms to collaborate and receive lessons, while being able to move between the two modalities.
JUNIOR SCHOOL LIBRARY In Term 4 2020, we unveiled our Library in its new home in the former Junior School Hub. The new Library is a flexible learning space with large spaces for students to congregate and learn collaboratively, and maximise their learning between classes. Students have responded positively to the space, working collaboratively in the space between classes, practising their musical instruments, and connecting with one another over their shared love of literature. 17
ACADEMICS IMPROVING OUR STAFF OFFERINGS IN 2021 At Southern Cross Grammar our relationships, students, staff and community are at the core of the work we do. As part of our commitment to providing premium learning and teaching experiences for our community, we have made improvements to our current staff offerings, allocated new roles and are looking forward to welcoming new staff to our school in 2021.
Improvements to our current staff offerings •
Head of Wellbeing Curriculum: We are taking the best elements of New Generation Learning (NGL), Positive Education and other wellbeing learnings at our school, and integrating them with the Resilience Project and contemporary health needs for our students into a planned F-12 Program for Wellbeing in 2021. Starting with a few lessons in the Primary Years and extending to Year 12, our new Wellbeing curriculum ensures our students are mentally and physically at their peak, and are also able to make healthy and responsible choices while in the wider community as they complete their academic ambitions at school. The Head of Wellbeing Curriculum will work closely with the Dean of Wellbeing and Pedagogy as unveil the new program next year.
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Heads of Year Levels (Years 5-12): We have seven new Heads of Year level to keep an eye on students’ wellbeing and progress at different year levels across our school. As well as looking after students’ wellbeing, the Heads of Year are also a close point of contact for families to connect with and discuss aspects and concerns about their child’s learning, wellbeing and care, and to pass on positive feedback and any areas of improvements regarding our school.
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Head of VCE: Our current VCE Coordinator is now the Head of VCE. This role represents our commitment to building capacity and excellence in our school, and to ensure our Senior Students’ are well supported as they prepare for their final exams and tertiary endeavours.
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Head of Additional Needs: Our Head of Additional Needs has a key role in supporting our commitment to equity. By covering off on students’ personal need, our Head of Additional Needs ensures we are able to give all students the support they need with as they learn at a pace that suits them.
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We have also increased staffing in English, Mathematics and Junior School Physical Education in 2021.
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AS A SCHOOL BUILT ON PERSONALISATION, WE HAVE RENEWED A GREATER COMMITMENT TO PERSONALISATION IN OUR OPERATIONAL ABILITY IN 2021 AND BEYOND.
GREATER
PERSONALISATION
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EXTRA LEARNING SUPPORT PERSONNEL IN FOUNDATION CLASSES REDUCED CLASS SIZES Our increased staffing in English and Mathematics has led to the increased number of classes in those learning areas and reduced class sizes. We are delighted to begin the year with an average of: •
14 Senior students in English classes
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12 Senior students in Mathematics classes.
The reduced class sizes mean staff are able to provide feedback, and students are able to receive feedback and be known, in tutoring style classes rather than lecture style classes. In a year where many students have self-directed their learning, our smaller class sizes will give them greater opportunities to have any issues or oversights with their learning rectified.
We are also pleased to confirm we are adding extra learning support personnel in our Foundation classes from 2021. Foundation is a crucial year for our students as it marks the first year of their formal schooling journey and we are passionate about laying strong foundations for our students. Instead of having 1 support staff for 22 students, from 2021, we will have 2 support personnel for 25 students thereby taking the ration to 13:1.
GREATER ELECTIVE CHOICES In addition to our Select Entry programs and the reintroduction of personal projects, we are also offering students greater choices as they take ownership of their learning and crafting a learning program that suits their passions and strengths. For instance, in Year 8, students will have an opportunity to study Global Studies and Linguistics for the first time, and in Year 10 students have an option of studying Sports Science as an elective. We also excitingly have subjects such as VCE Global Politics joining our Unit 4 offerings for the first time. We look forward to adding more electives and core subjects to our academic program in coming years. 20
SELECT ENTRY MUSIC AND STEM, AND REINTRODUCTION OF PERSONAL PROJECTS As part of our commitment to personalised learning at Southern Cross Grammar we are pleased to offer additional opportunities to students who have a passion for STEM and Music with our Select Entry Music and STEM program for our Year 7 and Year 8 students, and our Year 6 Advanced Music Program, commencing in 2021. Southern Cross Grammar has a long tradition of connecting with what motivates students and building students’ competency in areas they are passionate about. We are reintroducing personal projects in Years 7 and 8 in 2021. We have also staffed specialty subject teachers in preparation for this (e.g. Music, Art, English teachers) so students can seek out expert advice for their projects during the periods we have set aside for them to follow their passion. The Select Entry program along with the personalised project-based option in Years 7 and 8 provides even greater choice and individualisation for our students.
STUDENTS PARTAKING IN THE SELECT ENTRY AUDITION PROCCESS 21
WE HAVE PREFERENCED OFFERING STUDENTS INTERSTATE CAMPING NEXT YEAR IN PLACE OF OVERSEAS CAMPS. WE ARE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING OPTIONS SUCH AS: •
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
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CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
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THE TOP END OF AUSTRALIA
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TASMANIA.
WE ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF RESEARCHING THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE INTERSTATE ADVENTURES THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE IN THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR AND BEYOND. IF YOU HAVE FEEDBACK YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE SEND IT TO COMMUNITY@SCG.VIC.EDU.AU
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CAMPS 23
COMMUNICATIONS 24
A DIALOGUE SHIFT We hope you have noticed a considerable shift in our dialogue with families and the many opportunities we have given families to provide feedback in the best interest of our students this year. Whether it has been through our newly introduced formal community@scg.vic.edu.au email, to a casual conversation via Webex, online parent teacher interviews or through Schoolbox we feel privileged to have been able to offer families additional ways to remain connected with our school this year. Having reaped the benefits of building our school’s capacity to using platforms that further support learning and communication this year, we are prioritising keeping this added flexibility for our school community in 2021 by having Webex in the long term due to its uptake by our community and the flexibility it offers staff and parents to connect whilst managing their time around work and other personal commitments.
SCHOOLBOX FOR FOUNDATION-YEAR 4 IN 2021 The 2020 remote learning experience has expedited the improvements in communication and parents’ involvement in their child’s learning. As a result of launching Schoolbox to families in Term 1, parents can now see their child’s program, their homework, timetable, assessment and reports in one platform. We will be expanding Schoolbox to our Foundation-Year 4 students and families in 2021 as part of our commitment to a one school approach.
FIRST LANGUAGE OPTIONS ON SCHOOLBOX As educators, we believe parents are our key partners in their child’s learning and we are committed to finding new ways to increase parents’ ability to partner with us through the important stages of their child’s learning and development. We are pleased to inform families that Schoolbox now has an immersive reader option with first language options. To use this feature, please:
SCHOOLBOX APP 2021
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open a news article and click on the reader icon and click play
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you can also click on the book icon on the reader to translate the news article into your first language.
Following on from the success of our Schoolbox launch to families this year we working in partnership with Schoolbox to create our SCG Schoolbox app to give families real time communications as they happen at our school. From calendar notifications to news updates and events we are excited for the convenience and new opportunities the app will give our families. 25
THE PFA 26
The PFA’s Movie Night, Mother and Father’s Day Stall and fundraising showed our parents’ adaptability, and in particular, our PFA’s agility and dedication to our school community. In 2021, an on-site PFA office and shop will provide a home for our PFA and a convenient location for our families to exchange and/or buy uniform and other second hand items. With future projects being planned in collaboration with the PFA, we are excited for the many gains we will make together for both our school and wider community in 2021 and beyond.
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2 - 20 Lancefield Drive, Caroline Springs, 3023 Â (03) 8363 2000 Â admin@scg.vic.edu.au
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