St Benedict's Catholic College
Newsletter - 16 March 2018
Year 9 feeling the passion, Reflection Day, Friday, March 7
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear Parents and Carers
Last week I was lucky enough to be present when Years 11 & 12 had a presentation from Kate Fitzsimons. You may not have heard of Kate or her campaigns; Kate has been feted by the Government for her work in building resilient kids and was one of the “Significant 100 women in Australia” in 2015. She has been featured on all the breakfast television shows and A Current Affair. It was fitting that we listened to her inspirational presentation on International Women's Day.
She spoke about bouncing back after the unexpected death of her sister on an overseas holiday, and her work to educate young people about the dangers of being young, inexperienced and travelling. Her story about her journey to bring to young people the learnings about resilience and perseverance after her sisters death, moved the students.
Her presentation focused on several themes we have spoken about over the years at the College. Gratitude changes the way your brain is wired and makes you more resilient. Neuroplasticity (in the words of the students) is “a thing” and you can “redesign your brain”. You can’t control your thoughts but you can control your emotional reactions and behaviours to those thoughts. It was food for thought for those undergoing the pressures of the HSC and seeking some strategies to assist their thinking. I thank Mr Limbrey and Mr McAteer for organizing the event.
Which brings me to a related question for parents: “Talent or persistence. Which would you choose for your child?”
I often ask this question at our parenting seminars and the responses are fascinating. Parents naturally want both. When pushed most parents choose talent over persistence, which in many ways reflects the current thinking around achievement. Intelligence, sporting prowess and ability in whatever it is we value will only get a child or young person so far. Talent is purely potential. They need more than this to achieve sustained excellence in anything they do. It is the character traits of hard work combined with their ability to stick at a task and see it through that makes all the difference.
Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, described twenty-something American student Renee, who took 22 minutes to work out a complicated maths question. The average student gives up after THREE minutes, preferring to ask for help than work through a problem. Renee is unusual as she persisted for 22 minutes until she got the solution. The funny thing is that she doesn’t describe herself as a good maths student. But she is highly successful at Maths. Grit rather than pure maths talent is her forte.
Cognitive skills by themselves aren’t enough for children to succeed over the long journey. Many recent studies (most notably the work of US-based Angela Duckworth) have found that character, not cognitive ability, is the single most reliable determinant of how a person’s life will turn out. These traits include the inclination to persist at a boring task (grit); the ability to delay gratification (self-control) and the tendency to follow through with a plan (conscientiousness), which are invaluable traits at school, in the workplace and life in general.
Character works as an indicator of success when it’s seen as a set of strengths and personality traits rather than personal values such as loyalty, tolerance or forgiveness. I will have more to say in the next newsletter about this.
This week we once again packed the Camden Civic Centre for our Year 6 Information Night. It was wonderful to see so many of our current families in attendance, once again supporting us, and encouraging to see so many new families who wish to join the St Benedict’s community. Applications close at the end of the term and, for those who were unable to attend, applications are also available at the College office, or by downloading from the College website, under the Enrolment tab.
Warm regards,
Michael Hanratty
Principal
2019 APPLICATIONS FOR YEAR 7
When attending your interview, you can book a tour of the College. These tours are held during school hours so that you can see how St Benedict's functions on a day to day basis.
Applications close: Friday 13 April
Interview to be held early in Term 2.
FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MISSION AND VISION
In our Gospel readings this week we are reminded of God’s love, a theme that stands the test of time. It is written that “God loved us with so much love that he was generous with his mercy” (Ep. 2:4-10). What does that mean to us today? In our fast paced and busy world, it is comforting to know that we are loved and cared for. A sign of hope for our eternal existence. As we are well into our Lenten journey, we are reminded that “God sent his son into the world that we might be saved through him” Jn. (3:14-21). As we get ready for our own celebrations for our Easter break, we need to remember the significance of these Holy Days. The sacrifice of Jesus life at Calvary, for our own sins, reminds us of our own humanity. Are we people of love? Do we care for each other and creation around us? During this season we are encouraged to take time to do this. This can be through prayer, fasting and almsgiving - small ways that we can connect to others in our community and be living vessels of God’s love.
We continue to raise money this Lenten Season for the Caritas Project Compassion Lenten Appeal. The theme this year is ‘A just future starts with your support’. Each Academic Care class has their own Caritas box to collect money, that they are contributing to, to help this worthwhile cause. The monies raised will go towards helping disadvantaged people to gain access to basic human rights such as access to education, basic sanitation, and developing skills that can empower young people and their communities like farming and sewing. A big congratulations must go to our students in 7.3, who are leading the school in the most money raised! So far, their contribution alone will help a community to get the support they need to help them towards their ‘just future’.
Last week our students in Year 9 had the chance to come together and spend a day focusing on being selfless and our responsibility to be kind and considerate people to ourselves and others. We were joined by special guest speaker Chris Doyle, who through the power of music and humour created a caring environment for students to explore these issues. Students on the day were engaged and involved. It was fantastic to see so many students getting out of their comfort zone and singing and performing in front of their peers! A thank you goes out to all the students in Year 9 who were exceptionally well behaved and respectful throughout this experience. Also, I extend my thanks to the Religious Education teachers and Year 9 Academic Care Team who joined us on this special day and also put themselves into the spotlight by performing some wonderful musical pieces to walking our catwalk.
God Bless,
Mrs Tarnya Grana
Acting Director of Mission and Vision
UPCOMING DATES TO NOTE
- P & F AGM - Tuesday 20 March at 7:pm in the College Library
- Understanding and Parenting Your Teen (1) - Wednesday 28 March
- Year 9 History Excursion - Thursday 22 March
- Year 12 Geography excursion - Friday 23 March
- Year 9 Food Tech excursion - Friday 23 March
- Understanding and Parenting Your Teen (2) - Wednesday 4 April
- Year 7 Applications for 2019 to be returned - Friday 13 April
- Last day of Term 1 - Friday 13 April
UNDERSTANDING YOUR TEEN - Wednesday 28 March
PLEASE NOTE - Date for the P&F AGM
HOUSE SPIRIT ROARS BACK TO LIFE!
On Tuesday 13 March, the College held its first house meetings for the year, as part of the lead up to today's Cross Country carnival. Ingham, Polding and Dharawal houses, led by their student and staff patrons, shouted the school down in a chorus of noise.
LITERACY AND NUMERACY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE.
This year the Literacy and Numeracy Improvement Initiative is just one of a range of new College initiatives that will make a difference in the academic lives of our students.
During this year, the College will focus on improving our students’ Literacy and Numeracy skills. We believe that, when students improve their literacy and numeracy, they not only improve their academic performance at school but they also increase their access to opportunities in the wider world. We also believe that, given the right guidance, every student can improve literacy and numeracy skills and that parents/carers play a vital role in the process.
Our new Literacy and Numeracy team will publish a regular column entitled the Literacy and Numeracy Corner in College newsletters. In this column, team members will update you on new developments in Literacy and Numeracy in the College and information about strategies and initiatives we are using in the classroom.
The newly appointed Literacy and Numeracy team consists of Mrs Joanne Baker as Literacy Coordinator, Mr Jim Gallagher (Head of Library and ICT), Mrs Julie Keedle (Learning Support Coordinator), Miss Ti Cao (Mathematics), Mrs Catherine Whiter (Science), Mrs Melissa Pereira (PDHPE), Mrs Jennifer Koryzma (CAPA), Miss Tabitha Brown (HSIE), Mrs Natalie Wagstaff (RE), Mrs Alicia Pollicina (TAS) and Mrs Grace Settineri (English). During the year this team will lead the College in developing innovative literacy and numeracy strategies across the school, they will continue to integrate literacy and numeracy assessment into each KLA and they will continue to improve our Literacy and Numeracy Reporting.
HSC Minimum Standards in Literacy and Numeracy
In addition to preparing our students for NAPLAN testing in Year 7 and Year 9, the College will, for the first time, administer the NESA HSC Minimum Standards in Literacy and Numeracy tests in Year 10.
Year 10 students who achieved a Band 8 or above in one or more of the 2017 Year 9 NAPLAN reading, writing or numeracy tests, are recognised as having met the HSC minimum standard in that area/s and will not need to sit the corresponding online test/s. Year 10 students who did not meet the HSC minimum standard will need to complete online tests in Reading, Writing and/or Numeracy this year. Over the next three years (and after the HSC if necessary), these students will have a number of chances to meet the minimum standards. However, students will not receive a HSC if they do not meet these minimum standards. For Year 10 students, the Literacy and Numeracy Semester 2 Report from last year indicates the tests (if any) they will need to complete this year.
From this year, Year 9 NAPLAN tests will no longer be an early way for students to demonstrate the minimum standard of literacy and numeracy needed to receive the HSC from 2020. NESA has made this change to ensure NAPLAN remains focussed on its original diagnostic purpose and to reduce unnecessary stress on young people.
The College has already sent letters home to parents/carers about the HSC Minimum Standards and the NESA changes. Copies of these letters may be found on the College website under the Parent tab > Letters. Further information will be provided to students next term.
For more information please go to: http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard/what-is-the-standard
Mr Ric Bombardiere
Director of Learning and Teaching
Literacy and Numeracy Corner
In continuing our Literacy and Numeracy Improvement Initiative at St Benedict’s Catholic College, the newly formed Literacy and Numeracy Committee will be providing regular articles in the College Newsletter to facilitate communication with parents and carers about literacy and numeracy strategies and activities delivered in lessons.
Much of what we are focusing on as a committee is the research of Dr Lynn Sharratt. Her work as a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, as explored in her book Putting Faces on the Data, offers extensive insights into 21st Century pedagogy and the methods educators can utilise to develop their students’ literacy and numeracy.
Sharratt writes about the need to embed Learning Intentions and co-constructed Success Criteria in the classroom. In essence, this means determining the main goal we want to achieve and considering the smaller goals needed to make this happen. Goal setting has been a regular feature of student life at St Benedict’s and my Year 7 English classes had no difficulty in taking this concept on board.
The upcoming Year 7 English assessment task requires students to write an exposition about their class novel and the theme of Environmental Sustainability. In preparation for this task we co-constructed our Learning Intention and the Success Criteria so that all students were aware of the requirements of the task and how they would know if they had achieved them.
Co-constructing the Success Criteria enables students to gain a deeper understanding of task requirements and this then enables them to participate in critical self reflection with a view to sustained improvement. It also provides students with a greater sense of ownership over their work and the steps necessary to achieve success.
Teachers throughout the College have started using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in the classroom, to better develop students’ preparation for assessment tasks with a literacy focus. It may be beneficial for you as parents and carers to discuss Learning Intentions and Success Criteria with your child, particularly in preparation for their assessment tasks.
Please stay tuned to our regular Literacy and Numeracy Corner articles. In the next one, Julie Keedle will present a specific focus on reading.
Mrs Joanne Baker
Literacy Coordinator
SCIENCE HAPPENINGS
Science Club (Monday Lunch)
This year started off well for the Science faculty. We have had the Science Club up and running since Week 4 and have had an overwhelming number of students from Year 7 and 8 attending. It’s wonderful to see so many students with a genuine curiosity and interest in matters relating to science.
Week 4, was run by Miss Chalmers where the students made fantastic magnetic slime. In Week 5, Mrs Bastias used iPhones to create awesome holograms with the students, and in Week 6, Ms de Lima helped the students make delicious ‘baggie’ vanilla ice-cream. We are always happy to have more students attending, so come along on Monday lunch to the Science labs for a fun-filled hands-on activity which will get you thinking more deeply and asking questions about how things work.
Brain Bee Challenge
We have a number of students who are busy preparing for Round 1 of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge which is taking place during Brain Awareness Week (12th -16th March). This is a competition for Year 10 students to learn about the brain and its functions, learn about neuroscience research, find out about careers in neuroscience and to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses. Students have been studying the book Neuroscience: Science of the Brain and will complete an on-line quiz under exam conditions to determine their knowledge and understanding of the structure and function of the brain. There are 4 Rounds for this competition, with the final round taking place overseas! We wish our students all the best in the first round.
Coming Up
The Big Science Competition will be coming up early in Term 2. This is open to all students in Years 7 to 10 and is an excellent opportunity to challenge students and track their performance against state and national averages. It is designed to test Scientific Understanding and Inquiry Skills. This competition will be advertised during science lessons and in the daily notices, so do keep an ear out for it.
Maria de Lima
Science Coordinator
COLLEGE SPORTING WEEK
Congratulations to the following students who were nominated as MVPs for Week 7
Marital Arts:
Edam Ravino and Lorenzo D’Ambrosio
Netball:
Luke Shipley and Olivia Hooton
MILO Cricket:
Jarred Buttigieg
Bowls/Indoor Sports:
Logan Simon and Alexandra Zadrozny
Crossfit/Golf:
Connor Vega-Morgan
Golf/Crossfit:
Tiffany Eid and Brandon Chetcuti
Kickboxing/Gym:
Yehia Bates
Gym/Kickboxing:
Paris Murray
Skating/Dance:
Lara Holgate and Ethan Moubarak
Dance/Skating:
Tara Moore
Beach Sport/Tennis:
Braedon Pocock
Bowling A:
Anthony Pascuzzi
Bowling B:
Emma Hooton
MISA Sport
Our MISA teams had a washout against Magdalene Catholic College:
Year 7-9 Girls Basketball Loss
MVP:
Charlize Zuvela
Year 7-9 Boys Basketball Win
MVP: Nathan Rofe
Yours in Sport
Miss Liska
YEAR 7 BENNIES BLOG
Year 7 Coordinator Update
Year 7 are now past the halfway mark of their first Term of high school and they are still doing brilliantly. Overall feedback from teachers is very positive and they are very impressed with their mature approach to their studies. This week they have been initiated into their respective school Houses Ingham (Purple), Dharawal (Red) and Polding (Yellow) with War Cry Practice on Tuesday and the School Cross Country today. A perfect time to release some of their assessment stress and anxiety with some fun school community activities, a much needed break for all.
Assessments will still go on for another few weeks and for many of the Year 7's this can be a very challenging time as they get used to this process. Our Academic Care Mentors have been continuing their conversations with the Year 7's to help them through this period developing strategies to manage their homework and life balance outside of school. The recommended time for homework in Year 7 is 1.5 hours each evening during the week. If you find your child is struggling with this please contact their Academic Care Mentor and they can look at how they are managing their time. It is important they are having time away from homework to pursue their other passions outside of the classroom, and we don’t want to see them burning out.
You may find too, during this point of high school, your child isn’t opening up and sharing as much as they did in Primary School, or that they are seeming quite tired and irritable; your sweet primary school child is snapping and being distant. The College is running a fantastic Parent seminar held over 2 nights, the 28 March and 4 April 2018 “Understanding and Parenting Your Teens”. These seminars are designed to give you an insight into your teenagers challenges and provide you with some new strategies for supporting them through this period of transition. They are run by our College Counsellor, Gloria Melham, and are free. They are well worth your time, and there are currently still some spots available. We hope to see you there.
Good luck over the next few weeks.
Ms Heather Brown
Year 7 Coordinator
STUDENT'S VOICE
What it has been like these past few weeks here at St Benedict’s!
These past few weeks have been great. It can be difficult for children to adjust to these changes, like being in a new environment, having to make new friends and changing classes after each period, but St Benedict’s has helped us adjust to these changes quickly and efficiently.
We have learnt so many new things and have had so many great opportunities. So far, we’ve been really enjoying high school and our four favourite subjects that really make us enjoy school are Art, Religion, Science and Sport.
By Preston Stuart-Smith and Mya Romeo 7.6 AC reps
HOUSEKEEPING
Student/ family detail verification forms for Year 11 and 12 were distributed Monday 5 March by homeroom teachers. Parents are asked to review details and complete any changes, sign and return to the office asap.
Parents and Carers are reminded that the speed limit for driving on College grounds is 10 kph. Please use set down areas as advised. If staying longer please park in a parking bay.
Please telephone the school office to notify daily absences. If a student has a planned absence of more than 2 days please notify the office by email with the dates and explanation of absence. A reason is required for each absence.
For absences of 10 days or more an Application for Extended Leave must be completed and are available from the College Website.
If your child is ill, please keep them at home and notify the school.
Parents are asked to email KLA Coordinators between 7:40am and 6:00pm if requesting appointments or needing information. Please allow 48 hours to reply. The school office is open from 7:40am until 3:30pm. If calling for a teacher, please allow them 24 hours to return your call. Parents are asked to remember that teachers are in class during the day and have meetings after school hours.
NOTICES
Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer Information
This is just a friendly reminder to our Parents and Carers that our School has the services of an Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer, Colleen Durrant.
Sharynne Freeman has worked with Catholic Education for five years and is only too happy for Parents and Carers to contact her with queries and requests for information in the Macarthur and Southern Highland areas.
Sharynne also sends out information to Careers Advisors in our Secondary Schools for career opportunities that students can access, as well as information relevant to Primary Schools.
Sharynne’s email address is freemans01@dow.catholic.edu.au or she can be contacted on 0409 359 041 or 02 4253 0822 between 8.00am and 3.30pm.
Narellan Police are appealing for any witness to a road rage incident that occurred on Oran Park Drive, Oran Park, between 3.00pm and 3.30pm on Friday 9 February 2018. Of particular interest would be anyone who may have a dash cam that may have recorded the incident. The Police believe there would have been a number of witnesses as children were being picked up at the time.
The incident involved a Gold Mitsubishi Pajero and a White Isuzu DMax Utility.
If you require any further information please contact Senior Constable COATES at Narellan Police Station, 02 4632 4499.