College Newsletter
Term 3 Week 4 Friday 7 August 2015
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents, Staff and Students
Over the past two weeks, students in Year 12 have completed their Trial HSC examinations, whilst Language students in Italian and French will complete their HSC Speaking examinations over the next two weekends.
Textiles Technology students will be submitting their major works on Monday 10th August and the Visual Arts Body of Work is due on Monday 31st August.
Please keep these Year 12 students in your prayers as they prepare for these important HSC exams.
Year 7 to 10 students are expected to be hard at work studying the content demanded in the subjects they study.
Year 11 students have only four weeks left before they undertake their final Preliminary HSC examinations.
All parents are reminded of students ongoing homework requirements -
Year 7-8 - 1½ hours per night
Year 9-10 - 2-2½ hours per night
Year 11-12 - 2½-3 hours per night
As a College community we pray -
Prayer to the Holy Family
(by Pope Francis)
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
in you we contemplate
the splendour of true love,
to you we turn with trust.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
grant that our families too
may be places of communion and prayer,
authentic schools of the Gospel
and small domestic Churches.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
may families never again
experience violence, rejection and division:
may all who have been hurt or scandalised
find ready comfort and healing.
Holy Family of Nazareth,
may the approaching Synod of Bishops
make us once more mindful
of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,
and its beauty in God's plan.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
graciously hear our prayer!
Amen
God Bless
Mrs Patricia Baker
In Sympathy
Mr John Vavdinos.
Grandfather of Chrisafoula Vavdinos (Year 8).
May he rest in peace.
Amen
Art Exhibition
Congratulations
This prestigious award is funded by the Australian Government and is awarded to a small number of secondary students who achieve outstanding results in HSC VET courses.
Semester 2 Homeroom Leaders
7E5
Captain- Suzanne Mekdessi
Vice Captain- Sima Gem
Missions Promotor- Alyssa Hanna
7E6
Captain- Antoinette Azzi
Vice Captain- Stephanie Portelli
Missions Promotor- Sophia Vicic
7E7
Captain- Margaret Makary
Vice Captain- Sophia Severin
Missions Promotor - Cecilia Cooper
7E8
Captain- Raquel Saliba
Vice Captain- Zyra-Jane Falcon
Missions Promotor- Mia Gauci
7E9
Captain- Renee Kristiansen
Vice Captain- Theresa Ndaira
Missions Promotor- Claudia Kukucka
7E10
Captain- Natalie Matsias
Vice Captain- Shanice Seaib
Missions Promotor- Teresa Lawlach
Co-ordinators Awards
Jacinta Al Hazouri 8G27
Tamsyn Balogh-Caristo 8G25
Arielle Bergmann 7E5
Katerina Bonovas 7E7
Melissa Cuadros-Lu 11F13
Chandelle Culas 8G23
Jemma Lee Dickson 8G24
Bao Tram Doan 7E6
Angelina Elias 8G23
Tania Fatoula 11F17
Alexia Francescucci 8G27
Marie Guaricci 8GL3
Mikaela Hanna 10FD1
Jolyn Helou 8GL3
Leila Kacanic 7E7
Amanda Kheir 11F15
Christina Kheir 11F16
Claudia Lardieri 7E8
Wendy Le 8G23
Suzanne Mekdessi 7E5
Kalliope Mentis 7E9
Mary Dan Hoang Nguyen 11F17
Perpetual Nkatiaa Boadu 8G26
Elizabeth Orlando 11F13
Olivia Pal 7E6
Leanne Purkis 11F14
Isabella Reitano 11F16
Rima Samarani 11F14
Zoya Shah 11F12
Kimberley Stutsel 11F11
Susie Sukarieh 11F13
Maria Leona Grace Tan 11F12
Annie Taniane 8G23
Tiana Totaro 11F11
Rachael Vella 11F14
Daphne Yanga 7E6
Joanne Zeaiter 11F11
Science News
The results for the Science Competition run by UNSW results have arrived. Entrants came from Years 7 to 10.
Congratulations to the following students who received a special mention:
Year 7
Olivia Achmar - Merit
Charlize D’Souza - Credit
Bao Tram Doan - Credit
Zyra-Jane Falcon - Merit
Victoria Georges - Credit
Rose Hanratty - Merit
Lily Parrott - Merit
Year 8
Emma Balogh-Caristo - Merit
Quynh Doan - Credit
Ma Dominique Espinosa - Merit
Megan Fisher - Merit
Wendy Le - Merit
Sabah Shekeb - Credit
Ashleigh Shi - Credit
Year 9
Emily Dang - Credit
Anh Dinh - Merit
Catalina Gonzalez - Distinction
Monique Khattar - Merit
Jessica Li- Credit
Elizabeth McDonald – Merit
Amy Townsend - Credit
Teresa Tran - Credit
Year 10
Ivana Bui - Credit
Yi Jun Mojie Ding - Merit
Claire Duffy - Credit
Tina Giang - Merit
Chelsea McIntyre - Merit
Jessica Nguyen - Credit
Catherine Raftopoulos - Merit
An Astronomy Night was held on Monday 27th July. It was a chilly but clear night that turned out to be a wonderful viewing night. Thank you to the families who supported the event.
On the night we got an opportunity to see:
· Venus as a crescent shape (it goes through phases like our moon)
· The rings of Saturn
· The international space station
· Craters on the moon
· Stellar nurseries
· Constellations
· Jewel box nebula
Also there were a number of games and trivia activities that were played inside and which were enjoyed by all.
Thank you to the science staff for making this night possible and to Mr Bridges who stole the show with his impressive telescope and expertise.
Mrs Hackney
Science Co-ordinator
Numeracy at Cerdon
The Numeracy Signpost
Cerdon’s Numeracy signpost assists students in comparing the direction and distance of various locations; a spatial skill. Traditionally, spatial mathematics is an area of numeracy a number of our students have had difficulty mastering so any extra input is welcome and will assist the students. Remember, students need to do something 200 times to master the skill.
You could assist your daughters with their spatial mathematics by asking them to:
1. Estimate the distances to familiar places e.g. ‘how far from home to school?’ or ‘how far from here to the corner?’
2. Estimate the lengths of familiar items e.g. ‘how high is that table?’ or ‘how tall is that person?’
3. If possible, measure after estimating to determine how accurate their estimate is.
4. Give the direction of places e.g. north, south, east, west, north-east, north-west, south-east or south-west.
One of the location names on the Numeracy signpost is pointing in the WRONG direction. The first girl to tell Mrs Muscat the name of the place AND tell or show her the direction it should be pointing in will receive a Co-ordinator’s Award. Have a look at the pictures below, they may assist you!
Grace Muscat
(Leader of Learning: Numeracy)
Enrichment @ Cerdon
In this week’s issue, read about the exciting adventures of some of our students who attended a weekend RYPEN camp as well as all the excitement from the Year 8 Knowledge Challenge. This weekend, three of our Year 11 students will participate in the next round of interviews for the National Science Youth Forum, a prestigious program which provides students across Australia with the opportunity to learn more about the latest scientific research as well as interacting with like-minded young people. The students will be required to present a speech based on a topic of interest. Christina Kheir is presenting a speech on dealing with nuclear waste, Leanne Purkis is talking about artificial intelligence and Amanda Kheir will present her speech on the placebo effect. As well as their speeches, students will be interviewed by a panel of academics, business leaders, Rotarians and past NYSF participants. We wish the girls all the best for the next stage of the science forum.
The RYPEN Camp 2015
Run and sponsored by Rotary, this camp encourages students to learn more about themselves and their world. Every year, students are inspired by their experiences and are challenged to be the best possible person they can be. Congratulations to Lauren Smith and Chelsea McIntyre for participating in the 2015 camp.
On 17th July, 2015, I attended a youth program called 'RYPEN' which ran from Friday night to a Sunday afternoon. Upon arrival, I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. There were roughly 60 other people who were around the same age as me. We were soon split into groups and broke the ice by playing games and getting to know each other. Over the course of the weekend, many inspiring and motivational speakers came to share their experiences with us and taught us how to be the best possible version of ourselves. I learnt how to become a leader using qualities such as confidence, inner strength, resilience and power. Not only did I learn a great deal about leadership and my inner power, but I also met a bunch of amazing, wonderful people who have affected me in ways I didn't think possible. Some of these people shared their own personal stories of strength, resilience and perseverance which made me realise how lucky I was. Some of these people I will never forget, some of them have affected the way I view the world and myself and some of them have become very good friends. RYPEN was an incredible experience that I was so lucky to have taken part in and is a fantastic program for those who aspire to be great leaders in the future.
Lauren Smith Year 10
The Year 8 Knowledge Challenge
Year 8 was buzzing with excitement, ready for their Knowledge Challenge Contest. This challenge draws questions from all different key learning areas such asEnglish, Mathematics, Science, History the arts as well as entertainment, sports and current affairs. As always, the competition was tight right until the finals with 3 teams separated by only half a point. In the end the grand final was between McOscar II and Perroton II. Well done to Daniella Elakcnouch, Alexandria Makary, Claudia Bryson Miguel, Christie Youssef and Lytia Heng from McOscar for making it to the grand final. Congratulations to Sarina Pham, Catherine Tran, Annie Taniane and Trinity Taylor from Perroton for winning the Year 8 Knowledge Challenge for 2015.
Announcing a new challenge…
The Young Designers Award Paper Plane Challenge
Cerdon College will hold its first Paper Plane Challenge. The competition will consist of two events, The Furthest Distance and the Longest Airtime. All students need to do is to construct a plane using only a sheet of A4 paper. Planes which travel more than 20m or have an air time of 5 seconds or more will qualify for finals at the University of Sydney on August 29. The contest is open to students from 7-12 however, participating students need to complete a registration form available from Mrs Agius.
Competition closing soon…..Doodle 4Google 2015!
Google is pleased to invite all students from year 1-10 to participate in the Doodle 4 Google competition for 2015. This competition offers students the opportunity to have their artwork viewed not just by their teachers and classmates, but by millions of people across the internet. This year’s theme is “If I could travel back in time I would …” This is a fantastic opportunity for students to use their creativity and imagination to produce a doodle. For further information, interested students can visit https://www.google.com.au/doodle4google/
All submissions need to be processed through the College. Entries are due to Mrs Agius by August 14, 2015
Mrs S Agius
Enrichment Co-ordinator
PDHPE and Sport Report
PDSSSC Soccer Gala Day (U15s)
On Monday 27th July, Cerdon entered two teams into the PDSSSC Soccer Gala Day. Unfortunately our day was marred by injuries which dampened team spirit. Both teams tried hard, with Cerdon Blue finishing in 4th place and Cerdon White finishing in 5th place.
The squad consisted of:
Janissa Carrozza, Jessie Finch, Katerina Bonovas, Melissa Spehar, Stephanie Raftopoulos, Olivia Achmar, Isabelle Stipic, Alysha Biber, Caley Donohoe, Marisa Incognito, Jessica Stipic, Charbella Rizk, Isabella Vrtkovski, Janine Udan, Mikayla Ozols, Natasha Chan, Emma Tuhmeh, Amanda Giudice, Sophie Robertson, Louise O’Neill, Mai Truc Anh Nguyen, Carissa Zajac, Catalina Gonzalez, Alexia Abou-Hamad, Natasha Milakovic and Julia Achmar.
Special thanks to Mrs Roberts and Miss Meduri who selected and trained the teams. A special thank you also to parents who came to support both teams and helped out on the day when needed. Thanks also to Chantal Cassar and Mariah Younan (both Year 11) who performed refereeing duties on the day.
PDSSSC Futsal Gala Day
On Monday 3rd August, Cerdon entered three teams into the first ever PDSSSC Futsal Gala Day which was held at Penrith Sport Stadium. The Year 9/10 team improved with each game they played. They fought hard throughout the competition, finishing in fourth place. It was exciting to be able to enter two teams this year into the Year 7/8 category as we have a number of younger students with Futsal experience at the College. The Cerdon White team tried hard throughout the day. Whilst they lost their first two games, the found form when it came time to play the Cerdon Blue team. I wish this game had been played first, as I think it would have helped the Cerdon White team’s confidence when playing other schools. Congratulations to Cerdon Blue who were Runners Up at this year’s competition. They fought a hard Grand Final, which ended in a 3-3 draw, before Nagle scored a Golden Goal during extra time.
Congratulations to -
Cerdon 7/8 Blue Runners Up:
Alysha Biber, Jessica Stipic, Isabelle Stipic, Jessie Finch, Melissa Spehar, Katerina Bonovas and Amira El-Sayed (Coached by Mrs Roberts)
Cerdon 7/8 White:
Olivia Achmar, Caitlyn Borg, Caley Donohoe, Isabelle Putrus, Kayla-Marie Tadros, Siena Bergamin, Marisa Incognito and Charbella Rizk (Coached by Ms MacKinnon)
Cerdon 9/10:
Briana Titmuss, Carissa Zajac, Mai Truc Anh Nguyen, Gabriell Hanna, Mikayla Ozols, Janine Udan, Alexia Abou-Hamad and Natasha Milakovic (Coached by Melissa Barron, Year 11)
Special thanks to Mrs Roberts and Melissa Barron (Year 11) who coached the teams and to Kaitlin Allan, Chantal Cassar and Mariah Younan (all Year 11) who performed important refereeing duties on the day. Without their assistance, the gala day cannot run successfully.
Year 8 Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser
Last term, year 8 students were involved in a Jump Rope Fundraiser for the National Heart Foundation. Despite our original date being rained out, students were still able to showcase their new skipping skills during their PE practical lessons. Congratulations to all students who helped fundraise a total of $3637.50. Prizes have been ordered and should be here by the end of the term. Special thanks to Mrs Deegan and the rest of the Year 8 PDHPE teachers who helped to coordinate this year’s event.
Uniform Reminders
This year has been colder than usual. It has come to my attention that many students do not have the College tracksuit pants. These are available for purchase from the uniform shop. It is a worthwhile investment as your daughter has PE lessons each week and can wear them to major sporting carnivals and when representing the school. I believe there would be a market for second hand purchase of sport tracksuits so once you have finished using them, you could sell them on to another family. Please do not write notes allowing your daughter to wear black tights. These are not part of the College uniform. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated. Due to health reasons, no stockings are to be worn underneath the tracksuit.
Ms K MacKinnon
PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator
Upcoming Events
Friday 14th August PDSSSC Dance Championships (Penrith)
Tuesday 18th August NSWCCC Netball Championships (Penrith)
Wednesday 19th August PDSSSC Athletics Championships (Blacktown)
Tuesday 25th August Year 10 Road Safety Excursion (Homebush)
Monday 31st August PDSSSC Oz Tag Gala Day (Kingsway)
Dropping Off and Picking Up Students
The gates are clearly signposted and parents are asked to respect these instructions which are in place to protect the safety of students.
Canteen Helpers
Thank you
School Excursions and Incursions
For other excursions not covered by the general permission note, you may receive a permission note which will need to be completed and forwarded to school by the due date. Some of these excursions may incur a cost which will also need to be paid by the due date. There are no exceptions or extensions to the due date for these activities.
A copy of each notification and permission note is also available from the College Website.
Change of Contact Details
Thank you
College Uniform Shop
Cerdon College Uniform Shop Management
Telephone: 8724 7329 (During trading hours only)
The Uniform Shop's normal trading hours are as follows -
Monday and Wednesday 8:00 am—2:00 pm (Terms 1 and 4)
Mondays only 8:00 am—2:00 pm (from Week 5 Term 2 and all Term 3)
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