Year 12 students in Tasmania and the Northern Territory all received their final exam results over the last few days and Greek Australian students have excelled.
Here’s a list of who reached the top 100 in each state and territory:
Northern Territory:
A record number of Year 12 students in the Northern Territory received their NT Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) this year, despite the challenges of coronavirus.
A total of 1610 students will be awarded their NTCET this year, up 156 on last year, and among the top 20 students are three Greek Australians.
Georgia Kyranis and Andrew Savvas from the Northern Territory were both listed in the top 20 students. Photo: Che Chorley.
Top Aboriginal student, Georgia Kyranis, from Darwin High School, recorded an ATAR of 96.30 and a university aggregate of 82.45.
Andrew Savvas, also from Darwin High School, and Kieran Lelis from St Phillip’s College, also reached the top 20.
Tasmania:
More than 11,350 students received their long-awaited ATAR scores on December 17, with many Greek Australians getting results over 90.
Panayiota Antypas, from Scotch Oakburn College, was one of three top scoring students in Tasmania’s north.
Nina Kahles, 17, from Hobart College was one of 15 students from her school in the top 100 in ATARs. Centre is Sophie Janes, 18 and (right) Henry Hurd, 18. Picture: Zak Simmonds.
Nina Maya Kahles, 17, from Hobart College was also one of 15 students from her school to make it into the state’s top 100 ATARs.
Lucy Katerina Aras from St Patrick’s College was also listed in the top 100.
With only four days left until Christmas Day, the Greek community in Sydney and Adelaide got into the festive spirit over the weekend with a number of Christmas kalanda events.
Some events were held virtually over Facebook and Youtube, while others involved visiting people’s homes to sing and bring Christmas cheer to their lives.
Here’s a list of what happened over the weekend:
Sydney:
In Sydney, the main kalanta event was held virtually by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
Starting at 6pm, the Australian Byzantine Choir sang Christmas hymns and carols in front of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios and others priests, including His Grace Bishop Emilianos and Archepiscopal Vicar of Canberra and Tasmania, Father Prochoros.
The program was split into two sections, with the first focusing on six liturgical hymns and the singing of Christmas carols, followed by His Eminence giving a small speech.
Elsewhere in Sydney, Pontian youth volunteers from Pontoxeniteas Sydney visited the homes of members to sing Pontian kalanda.
Ismini, Ioanna, Thomas and Kosta, who played the Lyra, brought smiles to the faces of people with their melodic singing and sweet instrumental playing.
Pontian youth volunteers from Pontoxeniteas Sydney visited the homes of members to sing Pontian kalanda.
This was followed by St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Burwood, where Christmas carols filled the church as Sunday school students celebrated the end of the year.
The students received a Christmas card from His Eminence and Santa Clause also made a special appearance to present gifts to the children.
Nativity Concert, Saint George College, Adelaide:
Christmas carols in Adelaide. Photos: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
“It’s such a blessing to be here,” His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope said, addressing in English, the children and youth of South Australia’s Parishes who participated in the Christmas Carols (Kalanda) state wide event held on Sunday evening at the St George College Sport and Performing Arts Centre in Mile End, Adelaide.
His Grace went on to welcome the attendees in Greek and talked about the meaning of Christmas through the words of Christian Monk and Priest John of Damascus.
The concert in Adelaide lasted over an hour. Photos: The Greek Herald / Argyro Vourdoumpa.
The concert that lasted over an hour, featured performances from parishes across Adelaide and Greek schools, as well as hymns from students of the local branch of the Byzantine Music School of Australia.
“I am honoured to convey the wishes and blessings of the Head of our Church, the Archbishop Makarios of Australia, who always thinks and cares for us and is pleased with the work of the local church,” said His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope before he wished everyone a blessed Christmas.
The parents of Greek students from Lalor North Primary School have sent an open letter to Victoria’s Education Minister, James Merlino, asking him to reinstate the Greek Bilingual Program’s “three classroom model.”
The school’s management have announced a two-classroom system will continue to be used in 2021, instead of the three-classroom one that operated until 2019, due to a fall in student numbers.
But parents, as well as the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) and other representatives from local Greek community education groups, argue that the two classrooms model could lead to the loss of a bilingual program which has been running for over 43 years.
The parents of the Greek Bilingual Program at Lalor North Primary School have written to Victoria’s Education Minister, James Merlino.
“If the Program is to continue to grow and prosper, it needs to meet the educational, developmental and social needs of its students,” the open letter to Mr Merlino states.
“Parents and students unanimously seek to reinstate the three classroom model as the only meaningful way to strengthen the program and meet student needs.”
The parents go on to say that they are “willing to work together with all stakeholders to promote the merits of this fantastic program which has a proud 45 year history.”
At the end, 21 parents signed the open letter, as well as a number of prominent members of Melbourne’s Greek community, including the Vice President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Theo Markos, the Greek Studies Program Coordinator at La Trobe University, Dr Stavroula Nikoloudis, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Vicar of the District of Northcote, Very Reverend Father Evmenios Vasilopoulos.
One of the parents, Chris Pappas, expresses his anger to The Greek Herald that representatives from Victoria’s Department of Education and the school principal haven’t added their own names to the open letter.
“Why don’t the School Principal and Education Department endorse the letter if they tell us they’re so support of the bilingual program?” Pappas says.
“We’re fighting a losing battle because they (the Principal, Education Department and the Education Minister) don’t want to see the importance of the program.”
The coronavirus cluster on Sydney’s northern beaches has grown to 83 cases, as record numbers of people come forward for testing in NSW.
More than 38,000 people were swabbed for the virus in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, and 15 new infections were recorded.
While the number of new cases is significantly lower than the 30 found yesterday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “Unfortunately, one day’s results doesn’t tell us it’s a trend.”
People were lining up to get a COVID-19 test at the Mona Vale clinic on Thursday morning. Photo: AAP / Dean Lewins.
She said authorities were monitoring the situation “on an hourly basis” and that on Wednesday morning they would provide an update as to what restrictions would be in place for Christmas.
“I would love to be able to tell everybody today what Christmas might look like in New South Wales or the northern beaches, but we’re not in a position to do that yet,” she said.
Despite the drop in case numbers, Ms Berejiklian warned the community to stay across continuing alerts on venues as more would be added to the already extensive list today.
Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, said the source of the outbreak remained unknown but the seeding event is believed to have been December 11 at the Avalon RSL, which then transferred to the Avalon Bowling Club.
She said one of the venues that had been alerted was the Salon for Hair in Turramurra on Sydney’s north shore — and is now linked to five cases.
Anyone who attended the salon between December 15 and 18 needs to be tested and self-isolate for 14 days.
“We believe we have contacted the vast majority of people, but some people had incorrect or eligible contact details,” she said.
“Please prompt your friends and relatives to check whether they attended on those days, follow the advice and get tested immediately and self-isolate if you’re one or two people who we haven’t managed to track down.”
The National Committee for the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution has released its preliminary program of events for 2021.
The Committee, chaired by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, have planned over 250 events to mark the important bicentenary anniversary, with some already taking place.
There will also be a total of seven multi-priest Divine Liturgies across Australia to highlight the ecclesiastical character of the National struggle.
The National Committee for the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Greek Revolution was set up back in early July and is made up of representatives from across Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory.
As far as the eye can see, thousands of olive trees stretch to the sea in the Peloponnese’s Messinia peninsula. Olive oil, also called Greece’s “green gold,” fetched 790 million euros in 2019, according to data from EU agency Eurostat. A fall to around 650 million euros is expected this year.
Why? Because although most Greek olive producers are family businesses, they rely on migrant seasonal workers to harvest the crop. But with the coronavirus lockdown and closed borders this year, that isn’t possible.
In fact, Ioannis Andriopoulos, who works at a local agricultural cooperative, adds that using seasonal workers is also not possible because these workers are often undeclared and as a result, they steer clear of COVID-19 tests to avoid deportation.
“It’s hard to trust undocumented workers. They haven’t been tested for fear of being arrested, but what if you’re infected?” the 50-year-old told The Kuwait Times.
Instead, Greek olive growers are having to call on extended family and local residents for help.
“There are no workers to harvest the olives,” olive producer, Panagiotis Outsikas, told euronews. “We can’t pick them all. We will do it on our own. We are four siblings.”
One grower had to ask his sister and elderly mother for help to harvest his 1,000 trees.
Nikos Argirakis walks in his olive grove in village Aghios Andreas, about 300 kilometers from Athens, on December 16, 2020. Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP.
“It’s how our grandparents used to do it,” olive grower, Nikos Argirakis, says. “The harvest was always a family affair.”
“In previous years we had at least 100 to 120 foreign labourers that would come for work in our village. This year, no more than fifteen.”
Usually completed at the end of November, the harvest will now drag on until the end of December.
With Greece being the fourth biggest olive oil producer in the world behind Spain, Italy and Tunisia, it looks like villagers have a busy few weeks ahead.
Those who threaten Turkey with sanctions will end up disappointed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.
In a videotaped message for a highway opening, the Turkish President noted that his country “will never hesitate to use its sovereign rights,” Anadolu agency reported.
“They tried to confront Turkey using every method, such as using terrorist group, coup attempts, political and economic traps, sanctions…thank God they have not been successful so far.”
The Turkish President noted that Turkey can work with those who treat it with respect and fairness: “We leave the door open for those who are ready to sit and talk with us on equal terms and agree with fair offers,” he said.
This Christmas, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite Christmas movies to keep you entertained this holiday period! From classic rom-coms to modern spin offs, there’s a Christmas movie for everyone to enjoy.
Love Actually
Love Actually is an early 2000s classic, filled with familiar stars. The film, directed by Richard Curtis, follows a series of intertwined character storylines. The end result is a comforting, romantic movie that truly shows the spirit of Christmas.
Home Alone
Hughes Entertainment gave us this Christmas classic in 1990 and its popularity has withheld the test of time. The comedy follows eight-year old Kevin who fights off thieves with amusing tricks and games on the eve of Christmas.
The Santa Claus
A family favourite. This wholesome movie tells the heartfelt story of Santa Claus in the lead up to Christmas eve, as Tim Allen plays a divorcee who inherits the role of Father Christmas. This movie is perfect for the whole family to enjoy.
The Holiday
The Holiday is a 2006 Christmas romantic comedy that follows the love lives of two women on opposite ends of the world. The two leading females arrange a home exchange to escape heartbreak in the holiday season, but they each grow to love their new home town and people they meet along the way.
What’s a Greek Christmas without roast potatoes? Crunchy, salty roast potatoes are the perfect addition to any food celebration.
Our recipe for the perfect roast potato is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser this Christmas!
Ingredients
1kg potatoes
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Peel potatoes and chop into chunky square pieces.
Place potatoes in a pot and fill with cold water. Place over the stove and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 8-9 minutes or until softened at the edges.
Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil over a baking dish and place in over for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake well to roughen up the edges. The fluffier, the better!
Transfer potatoes to the baking dish and season with salt, pepper and oregano.
Roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown!
Remove from over, drizzle with some more salt and enjoy!
The NSW Government has introduced new restriction for Greater Sydney from tonight (11.59pm), in an effort to reduce the effect of the evolving Avalon COVID-19 outbreak.
Following updated health advice from the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing risk to the community, the following restrictions will tonight be introduced for the greater metropolitan Sydney region:
Household gatherings will be limited to 10 visitors (until 11:59pm Wednesday 23 December).
The one person per four square metre rule will be re-introduced for all indoor settings including hospitality venues and places of worship.
A cap of 300 people will apply for hospitality venues and places of worship.
Singing and chanting at indoor venues will not be allowed.
Dancefloors will not be permitted, except for weddings, when a maximum of 20 from the bridal party will be permitted.
People in the Greater Sydney area and the Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven, and Nepean Blue Mountains, are also asked not to visit aged care facilities until 11.59pm on Wednesday 23 December, unless it is critical.
Up to 8pm last night, 36 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, 30 of which were locally acquired.
This domestic flight crew arrived in Melbourne from Sydney on Saturday, all being very COVID-safe. Picture: Darrian Traynor/NCA NewsWire)
These restrictions are designed to reduce the risk of further community transmission.
‘Stay at home’ orders for residents in the Northern Beaches Local Government area will also continue until 11.59pm on Wednesday, December 23rd.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government then intends to provide further clear advice for the community ahead of Christmas.
“We realise the effect this will have on residents and venues, and hope to lift the cap and restrictions as soon as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“But we must take this action now to ensure we keep on top of this outbreak.”
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant urged the community to play their part in controlling the COVID spread, by getting tested if symptoms develop, by practising physical distancing and good hand hygiene, and by wearing a mask, particularly indoors.
“If these steps are not taken, we may see a rise in further cases,” Dr Chant said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the restrictions were a proportional and appropriate response to the threat.
“I want to thank everyone in the community for their patience and resilience. We are in the midst of a one-in-100 year pandemic and we are not out of the woods yet,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Now more than ever it is imperative that people continue to come forward for testing until we get this cluster under control.”
