Semester 1 ROAR prize winners announced
The ROAR prize recognises the good character of students who exemplify the key tenets of Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Resilience in their interactions and engagements at school. It is an aspirational prize which carries great honour and distinction within our school community.
Recipients are nominated by their fellow students and staff members, and it was evident from the nominations that a great deal of thought was given to how each nominee demonstrated the tenets of our ROAR wellbeing framework.
The recipients have a lot in common. They are thoughtful, empathetic and giving; they consistently represent the values of the Wesley College community; and they help others to ROAR! Most of all, they are wonderful examples to their fellow students of what is possible, and they inspire us all to do better and be better every day.
We warmly congratulate the following Semester 1 ROAR prize winners.
Leonie Abbott (SKR), Brett Borberly (GW) and Gemma Granozio (ELS)
Heads of Student Wellbeing
Elsternwick Campus
Prep: Theo Chau
Theo treats all of his peers with kindness, empathy and respect. His resilience and determination with his reading and class work is to be admired. He has even been spotted packing up games in the library when everyone else has left.
Year 1: Olivia Lee
Olivia is someone who comes to school with a smile and positive attitude. She is respectful to her teachers and peers and is always willing to lend a helping hand. She also takes risks with her creative writing and is happy to share it with the class.
Year 2: Sidney May
Sidney has shown resilience and grasped the opportunity to lead by example through his positive and respectful actions. He is cooperative, kind and listens well. He shows genuine care for the people around him and consistently makes good choices. For this reason, he is someone his classmates like to be around.
Year 3: Fiona Huang
Aiming to achieve her personal best is one of the reasons that Fiona was nominated. She consistently role-models respectful attitudes and behaviours by giving her full and active participation. She also takes the opportunity to be the best musician she can be.
Year 4: Lila Dell
Lila consistently displays the ROAR values. She includes her peers in activities, respects others’ opinions and ideas, aims to complete learning tasks to the best of her ability and tries her very best. She is positive and brings a growth mindset, smile and positive attitude into the classroom every day!
Year 5: Christina Noble
Christina has shown resilience, courage and strength in the way she has conducts herself and manages challenges. She takes opportunities to collaborate in a meaningful way and she is always the first to assist others, from offering academic support or helping others pack up the classroom.
Year 6: Akheela Megna
Akheela was nominated for the way she interacts fairly and inclusively with her peers, particularly in the playground at break times. She has a strong awareness of how people feel and takes the opportunity to a situation better by demonstrating kindness, respect and compassion. This extends to her attitude and behaviour in the classroom.
Year 7: Andrew Jones
Andrew demonstrates the attributes of the ROAR prize in his respectful interactions with everyone around him. He is resilient in the way he views setbacks as learning opportunities, making the most of every situation and doing so with gratitude and appreciation of what others have to offer.
Year 8: Mily Evans
Outstanding leadership, without a badge, and achievement in the way she approaches House events is how this student has been described as embodying the ROAR values. Mily consistently aims to achieve her personal best, demonstrates resilience and embraces opportunities in her approach to her learning each day.
Year 9: Sotoro Hama
Sotoro has been an upstanding student, showing strong values and great leadership qualities, despite not being a leader. He tries really hard to get good grades and even when he doesn’t feel entirely comfortable, finds the strength to give it a go. He embodies the ROAR ideology perfectly and makes others feel better about themselves.
Glen Waverley Campus
Prep: Sunny Fan
Sunny epitomises her name, bringing a sunny feel to the classroom and wherever she goes. Other Prep students always comment on how kind, caring and happy Sunny is, which makes her a well-sought-after friend. When someone has hurt themselves, she checks to see if they are okay; if someone has no-one to play with, she will go and play with them. Sunny doesn’t need to be asked, she just does this out of the kindness in her heart. Her manners are impeccable, and she respects all those around her. She is an absolute delight to have in the classroom.
Year 1: Amber Qian
Amber has worked hard consistently throughout Semester 1. She makes the most of every learning opportunity, approaching all tasks with an open-mind and a willingness to learn from and with others. Amber endeavours to have a positive impact on those around her and is a valuable member of the Year 1 community.
Year 2: Eve Pilgrim
Eve has consistently worked hard and applied herself in all of her schoolwork throughout Semester 1. She also shows kindness to others daily.
Year 3: Matthew Yu
Matthew always applies a balanced and open-minded approach at school. He is willing to take risks and accept that mistakes are a natural part of learning.
Year 4: Charlotte Bruning-Veal
Charlotte consistently shows respect by being caring and considerate towards others. She has seized opportunities to learn and grow with dedication and hard work. Charlotte has demonstrated resilience by staying strong and not giving up, regardless of the challenge. This ROAR award is for her open-mindedness towards opportunities, respect for others and unwavering resilience!
Year 5: Thomas Hannan
Thomas is a hard worker. He is always helping out other people in class and thinks about others more than himself. He helps his peers when they are unsure how to do something and puts his hand up to answer each question. He is generous, letting his classmates use his soccer ball at recess, and he also has very good manners.
Year 6: Maddie Quah
Maddie is a respectful person in all situations. For example, if she is told to call someone by their short name, she always checks with that person to find out their preference, showing an awareness for other’s feelings. She also shows respect to teachers by listening and following instructions. Maddie embraces every opportunity she is given and does so with a growth mindset. She is someone that has achieved a lot but is very humble, often celebrating other’s achievements or helping them to see their own success or growth. Maddie shows resilience in all areas of school life. If something doesn't turn out the way she hopes, she uses it as a learning experience and applies this strength to future endeavours. She deserves to be recognised for her kindness, generosity and inclusive nature.
Year 7: Sienna Morris
Sienna makes others feel valued, by saying hello and asking how they are going. She is always inclusive and listens attentively to other’s ideas. Sienna makes the most of every opportunity provided. When she doesn’t get what she wanted, she bounces back and tries something else, always looking for room to grow. When she is successful, she makes the most of the opportunity while remaining humble and polite throughout the experience. Sienna has helped many of her peers by being kind, caring and welcoming. She encourages everyone and wishes for them to do well for themselves. Each day, it feels like this person gets nicer and nicer, making her one of the nicest people ever.
Year 8: Grace Forster
Grace understands that respect begins from within, and she cultivates a strong sense of self-worth, upholding her values and principles with unwavering integrity. She inspires others to do the same, fostering a culture of respect and self-worth across the whole year level. Taking on a leadership role this year has seen her immerse herself in all areas of the role and she enjoys participating in house activities with vigour! Co-curricular sport is a passion, along with stage performances. Despite a demanding schedule, she approaches her academic program with meticulous planning and effective time management. She understands that academic success requires striking a balance and optimising each moment. She has a disciplined work ethic and utilises her time efficiently, with dedicated slots for study, co-curricular activities, rest and relaxation. Grace radiates resilience by extending support and encouragement to her peers. She is a pillar of strength, offering a listening ear, helping hand or words of encouragement to those around her. Her empathetic nature and willingness to uplift others creates a sense of camaraderie within the year level.
Year 9: Samarah Jumar
Sam consistently shows respect and is polite to teachers and students alike. She has very good relationships with her peers, even those she is not necessarily friends with. She also makes it a priority to encourage and support others. Sam takes all learning and co-curricular opportunities. In class, she is studious and diligent, which makes her a great collaborator and teammate. Even when it is challenging, Sam continues to try her best in all subjects and areas of school life.
Year 10: Joshua Triplett
Josh always shows care and consideration for other students and staff. He shows patience and resilience by allowing other students voice and time, before himself. Josh is making the most of his time at Wesley, participating in and committing to all that Wesley as to offer. He has shown resilience and sought out opportunities academically, in sport and in music. In many ways, he is a leader by example.
Year 11: Forrest Lo
Forrest is a student who is always welcoming of others and when asked for help, he is always respectful in his interactions. He consistently informs teachers in advance when he cannot attend a lesson due to other commitments or illness. He ensures that he catches up on missed work and is always courteous when seeking assistance. Forrest has fully embraced the wide range of opportunities offered at Wesley from involvement in music, including the musical, to House Activities. He is a highly motivated student who has high expectations of himself. He holds himself to a high standard and seeks opportunities to improve. His commitment to his studies is most impressive and he is an exemplary role model to his peers. When confronted with challenges, he shows resilience by making a conscious effort to apply strategies that will help him overcome obstacles. Forrest embodies the tenets of ROAR and is very deserving of this award.
Year 12: Jent Jiang
Jent has taken every opportunity presented. He has worked hard and done an excellent job in his Prefect role. He helped tremendously with the community dinner and has helped organise many other cultural events for students to enjoy. He participates in lots of house activities. He has also been involved in the Art program and chosen to do extra work by taking photos for teachers and documenting the house activities for other students to enjoy. Jent has achieved much this year as both a speaker and leader, growing in confidence every day. An example of this was the excellent job he did hosting the assembly with our guest speaker during cultural awareness week. Jent uses all opportunities presented to achieve his goals. He recently demonstrated resilience in applying for this year’s Acquisitive Art Prize, which he won. He demonstrated respect when he met with the judge afterwards to share his gratitude and thanked the teachers who have helped him develop his artistic skills.
Learning in Residence: Sally Kim
Sally has consistently demonstrated an exceptional level of respect towards people and the environment in which she lives in. She has developed strong, positive connections, especially with her peers in LiR. She is a polite and friendly student, and her presence brings joy to those around her. Every weekend, LiR offers a variety of activities for students to engage in, and Sally has taken full advantage of the opportunities presented, highlighting her willingness to develop new skills in a wide range of areas. Through her active engagement in a multitude of activities, she has successfully blended her academic pursuits with her social and cocurricular commitments. Sally’s approach reflects a well-rounded and thoughtful engagement with life on campus. Sally transitioned to Wesley in the middle of last year and has shown an outstanding ability to adapt to life at a new boarding school, managing the challenges that came with this change by establishing a network of support among her peers by being actively involved in our community.
St Kilda Road Campus
Prep: Finn Hedley
Finn is a principled member of the Prep class who plays fairly both in the playground and in the classroom. We notice him listening to others carefully, sharing and taking turns. Finn works cooperatively in small groups, always helps to pack up equipment and lines up when the bell rings. Finn is prompt to school and well organised each morning. He has his equipment ready for learning. Finn submits his work tasks and Home Learning on time. He is well regarded by his friends and teachers alike. We are so grateful to have such a caring, considerate, and well-mannered student in our year level.
Year 1: Rory Hii
Rory consistently demonstrates kindness and respect for her peers and teachers. She is conscientious in following all elements of the year level Essential Agreement. In group discussions, Rory respectfully communicates her ideas and listens with an open mind. She uses time productively and is a diligent learner who actively seeks teacher feedback and perseveres when opportunities challenge her. Rory is respectful and helpful towards others outside the homeroom environment, in specialist classes and in the playground. Rory leads with a laugh and a smile and is a role model for other students through her attitude and behaviour.
Year 2: Max Walsh
Max has consistently displayed the tenets of the ROAR throughout Semester 1. Max is tolerant and respectful of others’ opinions, even when they are divergent from his own. He showed courage, responsibility, and composure as he embraced the opportunity to perform in the front row at the Strings Soiree. In class, Max strives hard to complete all his work to the highest possible standard, demonstrating his focus on achievement.He encourages others to excel and is often involved in rich discussions. Max confidently shared his learning through his Greek cultural heritage presentation. When experiencing challenges Max is resilient. He has been an excellent role-model in dealing positively with change. Plans vary, and that does not faze Max. He just gets on with the job of being the very best he can be. He leads by example. Max has developed strong relationships among his school community and is respected by all those whom he meets. He is a very worthy recipient of this prestigious award.
Year 3: Harrison (Harry) Brown
Harry has a gentle, caring nature which combined with his sense of fairness and beautiful manners ensures that he is admired by students and staff alike. He is always open-minded when facing new opportunities, even if they take him out of his comfort zone. Harry approaches everything presented to him with a quiet sense of determination. His thoughtfulness and consideration for others is excellent role modelling for his peers.
Year 4: Eliza Watson
As Eliza’s classmates say, ‘Eliza has the courage to do anything.’ This is evident in the way she takes on new opportunities including her leadership role. Her kind and caring nature sees her always looking out for her peers and being a supportive member of Year 4. Eliza’s confidence has continued to build this semester. She works hard in and out of the classroom and is open to feedback to improve her learning. She has shown herself to be a worthy recipient of the ROAR award this semester.
Year 5: Hannah Nolan
Hannah consistently demonstrates respect for other people, their spaces as well as herself. She is inclusive in her ability to identify and give opportunities to other people across the Year 5 cohort. When it comes to learning Hannah is very focused on applying herself to tasks. Hannah has displayed outstanding resilience since joining Wesley College. She learns through problem solving and willingly helps others.
Year 6: Roan Good
Roan is a principled, kind, and considerate individual. When playing football at recess and lunch Roan encourages his friends and ensures everyone gets a kick of the football. At Wesley Wednesday sport, he displays respect and leadership during each match. Roan is always willing to step up to a challenge. More recently, Roan displayed resilience while adjusting to wearing a moon boot. He consistently has a smile on his face. Roan demonstrated acceptance and grace when his injury prevented him from attending camp with his class. It is great observing Roan approach challenges with determination and a desire to do the best he can. This is further evidenced in the classroom where he is caring of others and openminded in his approach to learning.
Year 7: Harrison Calder
Harrison demonstrates respect in numerous ways around the College. He is willing to take initiative and has been acknowledged for helping to pack up Adamson Hall after rehearsals as well as assisting a teacher who was picking up rubbish on yard duty. He chipped in to help and stayed to make sure the whole area was done. Harrison is punctual and prepared when he is required to contribute and speaks clearly and with confidence. This was particularly evident at the Year 7 Chapel service. Harrison works well with others to achieve tasks and he is observed by many as a polite, articulate and sometimes humorous communicator. Harrison is to be commended for the way he engages with peers and participates in all aspects of College life.
Year 8: Harry Jones
Harry has consistently displayed the ROAR attributes throughout the semester. He embraces opportunities to show leadership by sharing and teaching other students in the class different skills. His help has resulted in effective outcomes and lots of praise from his peers. He is always kind and respectful of others and has demonstrated personal excellence across a range of different units of work. Harry is actively involved in many elements of campus life. He attends productions to support his friends, participates enthusiastically in sport and is a member of the Middle School Rock Band. Recently Harry demonstrated his tenacity by learning a new way of participating in the Band when he couldn’t play his bass guitar due to an arm injury. He is recognised for the effort he has put into his schoolwork and can be relied upon to give assistance without requiring specific directives; instinctively Harry helps. His interactions around the campus demonstrate respect, a good sense of humour and friendliness.
Year 9: Jessi Nolan
Jessi has faced significant personal challenge this semester with a positive outlook and grace. Despite this, she looks out for other students ensuring their wellbeing and learning needs are met. She is an inspirational person who shows a deep respect for herself, students, staff and the College. The dedication she has shown to her learning both in class and at home throughout this time is exemplary. Jessi always gives 110% to her work, regularly checks to ensure that she is doing her best work. Jessi is also thoughtful and supportive of her peers. Her optimistic attitude and demeanour bring a pleasant presence to every lesson. Jessi is not just a great role model for her peers, but an inspiration to us all.
Year 10: Hamish Burnett
Hamish is an incredible friend and makes a difference to those around him. He is always happy at school. He shows great respect to people that he knows as well as complete strangers. Hamish takes on multiple opportunities, is involved in music and has achieved a few music awards for his time in Band. Hamish has shown his high resilience towards his friends and work and he is an incredible person. Hamish is inclusive and lifts the mood of those around him with his positive attitude. He makes others strive to be better. Hamish is quiet about his many achievements and is genuinely a super cool and kind person.
Year 11: Jonty Wellberry
Jonty has shown great respect through all his years at Wesley, towards the school, staff and students and makes the most of the opportunities he has been given. He is kind, which is shown by everyone's keen appreciation of him, and he acknowledges and spends time with everyone. Jonty participates in both the arts (music) and sport (rowing), in which he gives enormously in time and effort. Not only does Jonty participate in cocurricular activities, he also actively seeks opportunities beyond Wesley. He has participated in the Duke of Ed course, and the Monash Scholars program. In all his endeavours, Jonty performs remarkably well, notably he has claimed awards for outstanding achievement. One example is that Jonty not only made the rowing Firsts but helped row them to a second place at the Head of the River: both amazing efforts. Jonty could not have done all these amazing things without incredible resilience; he maintains high behaviour and academic standards, demonstrates exemplary participation amidst growing school academic needs, and is committed to broadening his education and reaching amazing levels of achievement.
Year 12: Eloisa Belmar Osborn
Eloisa is an incredibly kind person. She has incredible respect for her peers and shows them it every day. Her respect for teachers, friends and even strangers is demonstrated in the way she interacts with them. Her willingness to embrace opportunities and go outside her comfort zone is impressive and she is committed to furthering her education and personal engagement all the time. She has achieved awards, prefect positions and impressive grades on hard assessment topics. Eloisa's commitment to progress and improving herself is incredible. You can actively see her attempting to do better in all aspects of her life.
