College Newsletter
Term 1 Week 10 Friday 6 April 2018
A Message from the Principal
As the term draws to a close, Cerdon College has been advised that as of Tuesday May 1st 2018, our new facilities will be able to be used by our students.
A small number of additional works in the senior yard and around the Hospitality Rooms will be completed in the first three weeks of Term 2.
I take this opportunity to thank students, staff and parents for their co-operation during this building program. Our students will benefit from these new Science laboratories, learning spaces and Theatrette.
As Cerdon College moves forward, parents will still be unable to park on College grounds, as risk assessment means, that cars will be unable to use the area adjacent to the new building. This is to ensure safe access for all students and to prevent cars from having accidents near the new building.
Students in Year 12 are now completing their half yearly examinations while students from Year 7 to Year 11 are completing assessments on the units of work they have completed in Term 1.
During Term 1 students have represented the College in Swimming, Cross Country, Soccer, Basketball, Touch and Football in sport, Public Speaking, Rotary community functions, International Women's Day events and Kids Lit Competition. Students have also joined with staff to raise funds for the Caritas Project Compassion initiative, fundraising for the Wilai Foundation, which provides assistance to stateless people and the Marist program supporting homeless individuals in Sydney's CBD. It has been wonderful to see so many students involved in so many facets of College community life.
I take this opportunity to congratulate students on their achievements during Term 1 and hope that all students, staff and parents have a relaxing holiday break.
School resumes for Term 2 on Tuesday May 1st.
As a school community who recently celebrated the renewing power of Easter, we pray:
Father, that I may treat others
as I would like them to treat me.
That I may forgive others
as I would like them to forgive me.
That I may encourage and compliment others
in the same way
that I would like them
to encourage me.
That I may see and love in others
what I would like them
to see and love in me.
These things I ask
through Christ our Lord.
Amen
God Bless
Mrs Patricia Baker
Principal
Staff Development Day
Monday April 30th will be a STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY. College staff will be completing First Aid Training in the morning and will be working in Professional Learning Communities on Literacy (Reading and Writing) and Numeracy in the afternoon. The College Uniform Shop will be open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Monday April 30th.
Winter Uniform
Full Winter Uniform, including the College Blazer are to be worn by all students from Tuesday 1st May when Term 2 begins.
Enrolments 2019 and 2020
Enrolments for Year 7 2019 and 2020 are now open. Application forms are available from the College Office or on Open Day. Applications for Year 7 2019 will close on Friday 18 May.
Staff Only Parking on School Grounds
Parents and students are reminded that the carparks on site are for College staff ONLY. It is an unsafe practice to drop off and pickup students from these carparks, particularly in Sherwood Road as the entrance is off the T-way. Parents driving students to school need to find parking or a safe drop off area, (following the Council parking signage at all times) in Kenyons Road, Bristol Street or other streets surrounding the College. It is not permissible to park across residential driveways, as the College receives a number of complaints about this and it is also contrary to legal parking regulations. This is a major safety issue for all our students and it is unfortunate that a small minority of parents still seem unable to follow the College's Policy re no parking on College grounds, even if they are coming to the College Office.
General Safety
All parents are also reminded that they should not be dropping off or picking up students at either the BP Service Station or on the T Way Bus Lane. These are both unsafe options for students and parents.
Students and parents too must always ensure they use pedestrian crossings to cross the roads around the school.
Travel by Public Transport
The local transport companies have asked Cerdon College students that they must always tap on and tap off buses with the Opal Card. If students are not tapping on and off, it appears that the service is not being used and therefore the school special may be removed from the school bus service.
College School Fees
Please see below a letter from the Executive Director of CEDP about these errors in the school fee accounts.
Cerdon College will continue to work with CEDP to ensure future accounts are accurate.
Building Child Safe Communities – New procedures reminder for volunteers
Volunteers make a significant contribution to students and our community. As part of our new ‘Building Child Safe Communities’ initiatives, we request the following from volunteers:
Step 1: Complete the 'Building Child Safe Communities - Undertaking for Volunteers' Form for each volunteer location
Step 2: Complete the online training module – required every second year.
These can be accessed by visiting the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta homepage http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au then scrolling down to ‘Volunteers and Contractors – click here’.
Please contact your school if you require any assistance. We thank all volunteers for their continued support.
News and Announcements
For all regular announcements and up to date news on the events that take place at the College, please subscribe to the News Feed and Announcements Feed on the College Website which you can access here. You can also follow Cerdon College on Twitter, Facebook, Pintrest and Instagram; links to our Social Media can be found at the bottom of this Newsletter and on the College Website. We will continue to use Skoolbag to communicate important information about excursions, information nights and parent/teacher evenings. Please make sure that you select the appropriate group(s) to receive specific news relevant to your daughter's yeargroup. If you are new to Skoolbag please review the infographic above.
In Sympathy
Please keep the Ghassibe family in your thoughts and prayers following the recent passing of Mrs Samia Moussa, Grandmother of Alana Ghassibe (Year 9).
May she rest in Peace
Amen
Easter Liturgy
To mark the Easter Triduum, as a school community Cerdon College gathered in the Assembly Area on Wednesday for our Easter liturgy. The Year 9 Drama class enacted various elements of the Passion of Christ which aided in providing a reverent atmosphere for the occasion.
We reflected upon the significance of the resurrection and prayed as a community.
The students were thanked for all of their efforts throughout Lent as they supported Project Compassion. Many classes engaged in fund raising initiatives that ensured that Cerdon could make a sizeable contribution to Caritas.
Our final prayer at the Liturgy:
God our Father, by raising Christ your Son
you conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Let our celebrations this Easter season raise us up and renew our lives
by the Spirit that is within us. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Thank You from the Wilai Foundation
College Uniform Shop Revised Trading Hours
All students are expected to be in full Winter Uniform at the beginning of Term 2. Accordingly, it is advisable to make any necessary purchases for Winter Uniform items now.
Monday 9 April – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Tuesday 10 April – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Wednesday 11 April – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS – CLOSED
Monday 30 April – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Tuesday 1 May – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Wednesday 2 May – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Monday 7 May – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Wednesday 9 May – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
From 14 May to 24 September – MONDAYS ONLY – 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Cerdon College Uniform Shop Management
Telephone: 8724 7329 (During trading hours only)
School Calendars
Cumberland Council Youth Week Activities
Youth Week is a huge event for young people across NSW. For Youth Week 2018, Cumberland Council is supporting the Youth Planning Team in the planning, preparation and delivery of three Youth Week activities:
Monday 16 April – 1:00 – 3:00 pm NRL Clinic at Merrylands Park
Tuesday 17 April - 3:00 – 5:30 pm Tenpin bowling at Lidcombe
Friday 20 April 2:00 – 7:00pm Y4Y Festival at Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre
The Youth Planning Team in conjunction with the Youth Participation Team at Council are committed to bringing together the young people in Cumberland by providing these three fun and engaging activities.
Cumberland Council
Youth Participation and Planning Teams
CEDP News
PRC 2018 Calendar of Events
A copy of the calendar can be downloaded via 2018 Calendar of Events for the Parents Representative Council (PRC). All parents and friends are welcome to attend.
Bishop's Office News
Happy Easter from Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv and the Diocese of Parramatta
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Lecture Series
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) has engaged Dr Laurie Woods to present on the Gospel of Mark. Venue: IFM, Marion St, Blacktown. Time: 10 am - 2pm. Dates: Friday April 6, Friday April 13. All are welcome. BYO lunch. RSVPs to Maree 02 9890 4731
Positions Vacant
- Credo Youth Group Coordinator - St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
For further information, please visit www.stpatscathedral.com.au
Be part of history at St Luke’s Marsden Park: 8 April
Catholics from the Diocese of Parramatta and beyond are invited to attend the first Mass at Marsden Park on Sunday, April 8. Mass will be held at St Luke’s Catholic College (enter carpark via Frontier Avenue, Marsden Park). Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv will be the celebrant for this first Mass which will commence at 10am. Bishop Vincent has appointed Deacon Tony Hoban as the Pastoral Director for the new St Luke’s Catholic Faith Community. Deacon Tony and his wife Annette look forward to welcoming many people to join them for this historic occasion. Marsden Park is on Richmond Road between Blacktown and Windsor. Further details are on the St Luke's website: stlukesmarsdenpark.org.au or via facebook.com/stlukesmarsdenpark or by calling 02 8605 2623.
The Feast of Divine Mercy: 8 April
The Feast of Divine Mercy will be celebrated on 8 April 2018 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Greystanes. Celebrations will commence at 3pm with Chaplet, Confessions, Benediction and Mass. There will be fellowship after Mass, please bring a plate to share. No RSVP required.
Discussion on Asylum Seekers and Refugees: 16 April
The Social Justice Commission of Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair invites you to a Table Talk: WALKING WITH REFUGEES AND PEOPLE SEEKING PROTECTION. Monday 16 April from 7.30pm-9pm at Holy Spirit Church (5 Todd Row, St Clair). RSVP to Jacinta before Tuesday 10 April via admin@holyspiritstclair.com.au or 02 9670 8222.
NSW Pastoral Conference: 1 May
NSW Pastoral Conference: Forming Missionary Disciples - Join with pastoral council members, parish clergy, staff and volunteers across NSW to explore strategies for forming missionary disciples. How do we renew our baptismal call and enable our gifts in parish and school life? Tuesday 1 May, Lidcombe, cost $65. Find out more: www.tinyurl.com/disciples2018 or contact Tanya Quinn: 02 8838 3441 or tanya.quinn@parracatholic.org
The Permanent Diaconate: 6 May
The discernment program for those who are interested in finding out more about this Vocation will be held at St John 23rd Parish, 160 Perfection Avenue, Stanhope Gardens 2768. Come and learn more about vocations to the Diaconate and have a chat with our team members. We are looking for men aged between 35 to 55 and residing in the Diocese of Parramatta. Our discernment program consists of five sessions, with each session dealing with different aspects of the Diaconate. The meetings will commence at 3.00pm until 6.00pm followed by the Parish Mass and Fellowship. The 2018 dates on Sundays: 8 July, 9 September, 4 November. For further information visit www.parracatholic.org/permanent-diaconate or please contact any of the following deacons: Deacon James – 0425 213 832, Deacon Tan – 0407 270 782, Deacon George – 0408 440 769
School Zones
Parents need to take note that the area surrounding Cerdon College is designated as a School Zone. Police and Council Rangers constantly patrol the area. They will have no hesitation in prosecuting drivers for driving offences.
In NSW more than one million school students travel to and from school each day. The vast majority of students do so safely. The NSW State Government is committed to further increasing safety for children during school travel times.
The school zones were selected according to a number of criteria concerning the risks young pedestrians are exposed to, including a combination of high traffic volumes, the level of pedestrian use and crash history.
All NSW school zones are sign-posted with regulatory signs that list the operating times of the school zones.
What times do the school zone speed cameras operate?
All school zone speed cameras operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week and detect vehicles exceeding the speed limit. They are also programmed to detect vehicles exceeding the 40km/h school zone speed limit during sign-posted school zone times.
For most locations these times are: 8am – 9.30am and 2.30pm – 4pm on gazetted school days.
How do I know I am entering a school zone?
NSW school zones are sign-posted indicating the operating times of the school zone. There are also large, bright yellow markings painted on the road showing the 40km/h speed limit. In addition to the regulatory signs Roads and Maritime has also installed flashing lights (school zone alert systems) at a number of school zone sites, including all fixed speed camera sites that are located in a school zone. School zone flashing lights are used as an additional warning system to alert motorists to slow down, and are not legally required in NSW.
Are school zones enforced on pupil free days?
Fixed digital speed cameras enforce the school zone 40km/h speed limit during the stated school zone hours on all gazetted school days. Pupil free days or staff development days fit into this category and in some cases there may still be students attending schools on these days.
There are also some instances where double demerits apply on a school day. This will usually happen when the day before a long weekend is also a gazetted school day.
School days are defined as those gazetted by the NSW Government and which can be found on the NSW Government website and in most annual diaries. Both Catholic and independent schools, irrespective of their term dates, have enforceable school zones in line with Department of Education school terms. The fixed speed cameras enforce the school zone speed limit in accordance with the Department of Education school term dates.
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