College Newsletter
Term 3 Week 5 - Friday 23 August 2019
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents, Staff and Students
Term 3 is always a particularly busy term for schools.
Our Year 12 students completed their HSC Trial exams this week and Drama, Music, Design and Technology, Visual Art and English Extension II students are finalising their major works which are due for submission and marking over the next few weeks. Language students are currently completing HSC examinations which test their speaking skills.
With changes to NESA assessment rules, meaning that only one examination can be used as an Assessment Task, the Trials are the only opportunity for examination style assessments that Year 12 complete. This means that it is especially important that Year 12 students are at school every day as they will be given many opportunities not only to complete the course content, but also practice many of the skills needed to complete HSC examinations. Over the next few weeks students can dramatically improve their performance.
Students in Year 11 will complete their Preliminary examinations in Weeks 9 and 10 of this term, hence they should be spending additional time on study, so as to revise content taught. Both Year 11 and 12 students are strongly encouraged to continue completing practice questions and submitting these responses to teachers for feedback. This will assist all students to improve their academic performance.
Year 7 to 10 students will have many formal assessment tasks also due in the coming weeks. Parents are reminded that they can access the Assessment Handbooks for Year 7 to 12 on the Student Portal and students all have the link to access this site in their Handbooks. These were also shared with parents via Skoolbag.
At this time of the school year, attendance each day is critical, so parents should not be seeking leave to take students on extended holidays, as this will have a negative impact on student performance in all subjects.
Over the next few weeks, Cerdon College students will be representing the College in -
- The national finals of the Sports Aerobics Competition in Queensland.
- The finals of the Bring It On Dance Competition.
- PDSSSC Dance Competition.
- Finals of the Science and Engineering Challenge in Newcastle.
- NSW Constitutional Convention.
As students complete their studies, it is important for parents to encourage students to get involved in College activities or enrichment opportunities. These involvements not only are important for student's resumes, they also represent opportunities for students to make links with the community and other educational organisations and also extend their skills in communication with adults, in a supervised environment.
Last week on 15th August as a Marist community we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. As a Marist community, we believe we can be helped to come closer to Christ through Mary so as a community we pray -
Mary, wellspring of peace,
be our source of consolation.
Model of courage, be our example.
Model of risk taking, be our inspiration.
Mary, our Good Mother, lead us to Christ.
Woman of mercy, teach us to be merciful.
Woman of faith, help us in our unbelief.
Woman of vision, open our eyes.
Comforter of the afflicted,
give us a heart of compassion.
Cause of our joy, lead us to life.
Sign of contradiction,
help us in our uncertainty.
Woman of wisdom and understanding,
gift us with knowledge.
Ordinary Resource, protect and guide us.
Woman pregnant with hope,
be our source of new life.
First disciple, show us the way.
Fellow pilgrim, accompany us on life's journey.
Seeker of God's will, help us to be the same.
Amen
(Br Sean Sammon: In Her Arms and in Her Heart)
God Bless
Mrs Patricia Baker
Principal
In Sympathy
Please keep Loris Bitar of Year 10 and her family in your thoughts and prayers following the recent passing of Loris’ father,
Mr Saeed Bitar.
May he rest in peace.
Amen
Save the Date - Cerdon College 60th Anniversary in 2020
Please save the date!
Further details soon.
Make a Difference Day at Parliament House
On Monday 29th July, two year 10 students, Ariona Haxhijaj and Sophia Siderides, were fortunate enough to attend Make a Difference Day at Parliament House, Sydney.
Make A Difference Day paved the way for young individuals to gain insight towards how we can make the world a better place as youth members in our community. It gave us the opportunity to collaborate with students from other schools across Sydney on topics that affect the Australian community.
We first heard from an Indigenous activist and medical leader who inspired us to take action through her work and life story. It was presented by Dr Lilon Bandler, an individual who has experienced an inspiring journey that has witnessed the 1967 Referendum, and she shared her opinion of social justice issues and discrimination.
From this, each pair from each school was organised into groups where discussions were had about the changes we want to see in the community and in Australia. This gave the students an opportunity to explore how Australian democracy works and discuss how we can engage as informed and active citizens in our schools and communities.
Topics that were discussed included: climate change and how it can be managed to ensure sustainability is achieved for future generations; creating an incentive for the wider community so rewards are accessible for looking after the environment; how to manage and prevent discrimination, in particular, religious discrimination; whether or not all parents must take their children to be vaccinated, and how we can replace jobs that are lost as Australia transitions to renewable forms of energy.
Conversing with other students allowed us to gain perspective and deepen our knowledge of social and environmental conflict. Each student broadened their understanding of how we can bring about change to make the world a better place. Discussing community awareness incentives increased our understanding of our world and what, as youth members of the community, we can do to make a difference and stand against injustice.
After such insightful conversations, our faith in what we can achieve as young people if we work together was increased significantly. We would like to thank Cerdon College and the NSW Parliament for the opportunity to participate in the event and explore global conflict in greater depth.
Enrichment@Cerdon
Rotary Presentation
Congratulations to Paula Kahwajy from Year 11 who represented Cerdon College and the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) team at the Holroyd Rotary Presentation evening. Paula spoke eloquently about her experience at MUNA at Parliament House earlier this year; an experience which was not only enriching but provided her with a valuable insight into the workings of the United Nations. We are very grateful for Holroyd Rotary’s sponsorship and organisation of this wonderful event.
Science and Engineering Challenge
Following their success at the Science and Engineering Challenge heats, we were thrilled to hear that the Cerdon team has qualified to participate in the State Finals. Furthermore the team qualified in fourth place amongst all Australian participating teams!
The State Final will take place at Newcastle University on Tuesday 27th August. At this event the challenges will be unseen, so students will need to employ all available resources, their creativity and problem solving skills to work through each project. What a wonderful achievement and further opportunity for the girls! We wish them well as they prepare for their next challenge!
Sunsprint Challenge
Over twenty students from Years 7-11 have embraced the Sunsprint Challenge for 2019. The event, held at UNSW coincides with the university’s open day and is a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in a STEM project as well as visiting the facilities of the university.
National Computer Science School (NCSS) Challenge 2019
The NCSS Challenge is a competition open to all school. The competition is run by Grok Learning and is supported by the University of Sydney. Through this challenge students are taught the basics of coding using the Python language. Students participate in weekly challenges, supported by NCSS tutors as well as their Coding Club peers. It has been great to see students from Year 7-9 and also teachers, working together, mastering new skills and challenging themselves to learn something new. Congratulations to all involved and best wishes for the rest of the competition.
Girls Programming Network University of Sydney
The Girls Programming Network offers students from Years 7-12 an opportunity to learn about computer programming. It is a program run for girls by girls! Girls are encouraged to challenge themselves, with the help of wonderful female mentors and tutors. The one day program is offered every term, at the University of Sydney and once again Cerdon College was well represented by a number of girls from Year 7, 8 and 9. This term students were involved in working on the NCSS challenges (some even at advanced level), they made new friends and even enjoyed a free pizza lunch! It is encouraging to see our girls making the best of such opportunity and learning skills which will benefit them greatly in the future.
Cerdon Maths Olympics
This week over sixty students from Year 7 and 8 signed up to participate in the Cerdon Maths Olympics. The program was developed to challenge students mathematically and to promote a positive attitude towards the subject. Students work collaboratively through a number of challenging maths problems, assisted by a group of Year 10 mentors. The program has a competitive element; at different intervals students are tested, with the aim to achieve their personal best!
It was so encouraging to see so many bright minds engaged in mathematical discussion, working through various solutions and challenging themselves. Thus far both students and mentors involved have been very positive about this initiative and we wish them all an enriching mathematical journey through the competition.
PDHPE and Sport Report
School Athletics Carnival
The school athletics carnival took place on Monday July 23. We were blessed with a wonderful day for the event. I would like to congratulate all those students who involved themselves on the day. As usual, we witnessed some fantastic performances and the following students are to be commended on achieving Champion and Runner Up awards in their respective age group.
12 Years Age Champion
Christina Putrus
12 Years Age Runner Up
Dune Eldridge
13 Years Age Champion
Isabella Christou
13 Years Age Runner Up
Nicola Christou
14 Years Age Champion
Evia Papadatos
14 Years Runner Up
Talia Virzi
15 Years Age Champion
Trisha Castelino
15 Years Runner Up
Bianca N Cameron
16 Years Age Champion
Chloe Issa
16 Years Age Runner Up
Alyssa Dang
17 Years Age Champion
Daniella Elakcnouch
17 Years Age Runner Up
Mikhaela Topfer
18 Years Age Champion
Taylah Ibrahim
18 Years Runner Up
Emma Balogh-Caristo
House Champion
Congratulations to McOscar House who accumulated the most points at the carnival. The final results were very close and the other three houses are to be commended on achieving very competitive results.
1st Place: McOscar - 778 points
2nd Place: Marcellin - 469 points
3rd Place: Perroton - 428 points
4th Place: Colin - 387points
Many thanks to all staff for ensuring that the event ran smoothly on the day and to the Year 9 and 10 PASS students who also assisted with convening this year’s event. All students were enthusiastic and completed their duties with distinction. Finally, to our student photographer on the day, Sarah Denniss, who took some wonderful photos of our athletes in action. The day would not have been as successful as it was without the assistance of all involved and we look forward enthusiastically to next year’s carnival.
Taekwondo
Congratulations to Emma Cham and Mary Cham of Year 10 and Year 12 respectively on their performances at the recent NSW Taekwondo State Championships. Emma won the Gold Medal, successfully defending her NSW State Title in the Black Belt Junior division. Mary won the Silver Medal and, along with Emma, qualified for upcoming Australian Championships to be held at the Gold Coast on September 6 to 8 2019. Mary also coached 5 young athletes to Gold Medals at the championships, which is a fantastic achievement. We wish both Emma and Mary the very best over the coming weeks and look forward to hearing more about their achievements at the National Championships.
Notice from Transit Systems
Uniform Shop
The Uniform Shop will be open Mondays only in Term 3 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm.
If you prefer, you can make an appointment for a fitting via the College website.
Uniform Shop Management
Telephone: 8724 7329 (during operating hours only)
Skoolbag
Canteen Price List
Term 3 Upcoming Events
Week 6
Monday 26 August
Dress Up Day
Tuesday 27 August
HSC Drama Exam
Science and Engineering Challenge
Year 11 Drama Incursion
BREBAS (Maths) Challenge commences
Wednesday 28 August
Year 9-12 Music Excursion
Thursday 29 August
Year 8 Languages Day
Friday 30 August
PDSSSC Athletics
Week 7
Monday 2 September
Year 7 (2020) Parent Information Evening 7:00 pm
Wednesday 4 September
ICAS Science Assessments commence
Thursday 5 September
Year 9 Science Incursion
PDSSSC Futsal Gala Day
BREBAS (Maths) Challenge concludes
Friday 6 September
Year 8 Medieval Day
ICAS Science Assessments conclude
Science Extension HSC Presentations 4-6 pm
Week 8
Monday 9 September
PDSSSC Oz Tag Gala Day
Tuesday 10 September
Year 10 PDHPE Excursion
Sports Aerobics National Championships
Wednesday 11 September
Sports Aerobics National Championships
Thursday 12 September
Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary
Great Book Swap
Friday 13 September
Staff Development Day
Week 9
Monday 16 September
Year 11 Exams commence
PDSSSC Year 7-10 Basketball Gala Day
Debating Development Day Excursion
Year 12 SOR 2 Excursion
Tuesday 17 September
Year 7 Immunisation
Year 12 SOR 2 Excursion
Wednesday 18 September
HSC Music Exam
Friday 20 September
Year 12 Picnic
Year 10 History Excursion
Week 10
Monday 23 September
Year 12 Farewell Mass Practice
Tuesday 24 September
Year 12 Farewell Mass at Our Lady of Victories Horsley Park 10:30 am
Wednesday 25 September
Year 7 Science Excursion
Thursday 26 September
Rotary Dream Cricket Day
Year 12 Graduation Liturgy Practice (P3 and P4)
Year 12 Graduation Liturgy and Award Ceremony 7:00 pm
Friday 27 September
Year 11 Exams conclude
Last Day Term 3
Monday 30 September - Friday 11 October
School Holidays
School Calendars
About us
Email: cerdon@parra.catholic.edu.au
Website: http://dev.cerdon.nsw.edu.au
Location: Sherwood Rd, Merrylands West, New South Wales, Australia
Phone: 8724 7300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CerdonCollege
Twitter: @CerdonCollege