Local and Global
To be Lasallian is to be part of a community that spans the globe.
Here at De La Salle College, we prepare our students to meet the world beyond the College with grace, humility, compassion and commitment. From language studies and immersion programs to teacher-training and supporting local organisations, all of our connections, local and global, are nurtured and valued.
Read on to discover some of the ways that De La Salle College students and staff connect and contribute.
Orchestral Connections
Our Music students are out and about in the community, putting the skills they have developed at De La Salle to good use. Pictured below are Year 9 students Ben Selkirk (clarinet), his sister Kallista and Peter Orlando (cello), who participated in the orchestra at Sacré Cœur’s Annual Concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Thursday 8 August. Ben and Peter have been rehearsing with the Sacré Cœur orchestra throughout 2019.
Mr Luke Serrano
Music Coordinator
Student Exchange — Hungary
Over the 2018 summer holidays, extending into 2019, I spent my summer in the beautiful country of Hungary. To expand my language skills both written and spoken, I decided to go for the entire summer, as I am doing Hungarian as a VCE subject for Year 12.
After a long trip around the world, I arrived in Hungary, and met my exchange family. The place I stayed was a little town called Kiskunhalas, about two hours from the capital, Budapest. This is where I went to school with my exchange sibling, Aliz. She took me to her classes and showed me around. Aliz and all her friends were very nice to me, making me feel welcome and comfortable. She taught me proper grammar and helped me correct my mistakes.
At home, I bonded very well with her younger brother, Adam, who attempted to teach me slang and the teenage culture of Hungary. Furthermore, Aliz’s parents Aranka and Robi Gajdacsi made me feel safe and at home while staying. I always felt like I could talk to them or ask something.
In addition to taking care of me for the summer, the Gajdacsi family took me all over the place so that my language development could improve. They also showed me great historical, cultural and traditional landmarks; some examples include the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Hungarian Parliament House and the Duna River, which runs across the country.
Less than a year later, it was my turn to host Adam and Aliz in Australia. They both came to live with me and my family at the start of July. To help them enhance their English skills, I talked to them as much as possible. Aside from that, they both attended formal English school at Box Hill Institute. They saw a lot of Melbourne landmarks like the aquarium, Yarra River, Melbourne Zoo, botanical gardens, and Chadstone.
Lastly, I wanted to show them De La Salle College, my school, to show them around and allow them to observe and compare with their own school. I feel sad to see them go but have greatly enjoyed their company.
Találkozunk újra!
Michael Fabian, Year 12
Languages
The Languages Department strives always to make links with the wider community and the world every lesson, not only through learning the Italian and French languages and the intricate grammatical systems, but through speaking, listening to, writing and viewing the language in the world around us.
As part of our commitment to the global rationale of languages, De La Salle College offers many opportunities for students to engage in the wider and global communities.
De La Salle College has an extensive and varied program, please click here to learn more about how Language studies prepare our students to take on the world.
Teacher Training in Malaysia
After a successful application process, I’m delighted to say that I’m going to be spending my summer holidays in rural Malaysia. Here I’ll be delivering teacher training in schools where teachers have little or no formal training.
I believe that every child deserves access to a high standard of education, regardless of where they are born. Together with LRTT and Teach for Malaysia, I’m hoping to form collaborative relationships with the teachers in these schools and deliver pedagogical workshops to improve teaching and thus the quality of education for the children that they teach.
This will be the second time that I will be completing a fellowship with LRTT after a successful trip to India three years ago. I’m really looking forward to helping to provide a sustainable solution to the educational disadvantage that children face overseas. If anyone would like to know more about this fellowship, there’s lots of information at www.lrtt.org or alternatively, if you’d like to contact me by email, I’d love to discuss this with you!
Miss Emma Fairclough
Mathematics, VCAL, 8 Benilde Homeroom Teacher
efairclough@delasalle.vic.edu.au