College Newsletter
Term 1 Week 8 Thursday 17 March 2016
A Message from the Principal
As we move towards the final three weeks of this term, parents and students are reminded that many assessment tasks and assignments are due for submission. Submission dates and times are not negotiable, so students must ensure that tasks MUST be completed and submitted when they are due.
Next Thursday 24th March 2016 is a Staff Development Day. Students in Year 7-11 are not expected at school on this day. Year 12 students will be completing timetabled mid yearly examinations on this day. If any student in Year 7 to 11 requires supervision on this day, parents are requested to advise the College Office by Tuesday 22nd March.
As we move into the final week of Lent, culminating in the Lord's Resurrection, we reflect on the most important feast of the Catholic tradition.
'He is not here:
he has been raised just as he said!
Matthew 28:6a
Love of Jesus, fill me,
Joy of Jesus, surprise me,
Peace of Jesus, flood me,
Light of Jesus, transform me,
Touch of Jesus, warm me,
Strength of Jesus, encourage me,
O Saviour, in your agony, forgive me,
In your wounds hide me,
And in your risen life take me with you,
For love of you and of your world
Amen
From 'A World of Blessings', compiled by Geoffrey Duncan, p.146
In Sympathy
May she rest in peace.
Amen
Urgent Safety Notice
All parents are reminded that students are not to be dropped off or picked up from the Sherwood Road or Kenyons Road staff carparks at any time.
A number of parents continue to enter the Sherwood Road Staff Carpark, putting staff and students in danger. PLEASE STOP THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE immediately.
Also DROP OFF AND PICK UP at BP is strictly forbidden and NEVER STOP IN THE T-WAY.
Parents are reminded that parts of Kenyons Road are NO PARKING zones. No student should ever be dropped off or picked up from a no parking zone.
Police and Council Parking Rangers are very active in this area and they will not hesitate to fine you for inappropriate parking or driving within the designated school zone. As this is a public road, normal penalties will apply to parents who break these laws.
Opal Cards
- Tap on and off the bus every time - misplaced/lost/damaged Opal Card's need to be replaced by Transport for NSW.
- Offer seats to paying customers without being asked, specifically the elderly or disabled. Remember you can't always see disability as it may be transient.
- Respect transport staff
- Be safe
As your daughter is travelling on the bus in uniform, she is not only letting herself down, but also the College, when she does not do the right thing.
Mrs Baker
Student Attendance
Attendance
Regular attendance at school is critical for each student’s academic growth and social development.
Students should attend school EVERY day unless they are SERIOUSLY unwell.
Family holidays should only be taken during designated school holiday times as any absence will impact on a student’s progress and students will struggle to catch up on skills and concepts missed. Any request for leave should be made well before the leave commences.
Every student MUST bring a note explaining their absence on the first day they return to school. Any senior student (Year 10 to 12) will need to provide a Doctor’s Certificate to explain an absence from an Assessment Task or Examination. All notes must clearly state the student name, dates of absence and reason for absence and must be signed by a parent/carer.
To assist you, we have attached an absence notification that you are able to download and complete with the relevant information relating to your daughter's absence. Alternatively, a handwritten note with all the required information is adequate.
Partial Student Absences
All students are expected to be punctual to school and remain at school until the conclusion of the school day unless there are exceptional circumstances. Parents must have notified the school prior, so that students know that they must leave class early. These circumstances do not include leaving early to collect children from other schools, attending appointments that can be scheduled out of school hours, part-time work or catching a connecting bus or train. It is impossible to expect Cerdon College staff to collect students from class for parents who wish to pick them up early without notification.
Changes to the University of Sydney's admission requirements.
From 2019 students in some courses will need to have completed the Mathematics course (2 unit) and achieved a Band 4 (70 marks) or above to be potentially eligible for admission. A full list of courses and other important information is available from http://sydney.edu.au/study/maths.html.
This affects students in Year 10, as these changes are set to apply to admissions for 2019. These changes will be listed in the 2016 Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) Year 10 Guide, distributed to schools in May.
Homework
Students should now be settled into their courses of study for 2016 and all students from Year 7 to Year 12 should be undertaking home study every night. Year 7 and 8 students should be spending 1-1½ hours each night on homework. Students in Year 9 and 10 should be spending 1½-2 hours each night on homework and Year 11 and 12 students should be spending 2½-3 hours each night on homework.
This homework should include some time for general reading, but also time completing work assigned in class, research assignments or projects and assessment tasks.
Students needing assistance with this homework should come to Learning Plus sessions held in the Library during each lunchtime.
Learning at Cerdon College
Senior Ancient History Museum Visits
Girls studying Ancient History in Years 11 and 12 had had the opportunity recently to get some ‘hands-on’ experience with ancient artefacts. Interestingly, both of the museums they attended are open to the public and well worth a visit by any lover of history.
On Wednesday, 24th February, Year 11 students attended the Nicholson Museum at Sydney University. After a tour of the museum’s very modern displays by the guides, and some question and answer sessions, the girls participated in a workshop where they were able (with gloves, of course) to handle a range of 2 000 year old objects as varied as Roman taps, Egyptian amulets and Greek pottery.
On Tuesday, 1st March, Year 12 students travelled to the Museum of Ancient Cultures at Macquarie University. After a lecture about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and its impact on Pompeii and Herculaneum, the girls had a hands-on workshop with artefacts from the ancient Roman empire. A tour of the collection then followed.
Getting to review class skills in source analysis was a valuable activity for both groups; and then being able to handle ancient objects was an extra, awe-inspiring experience.
Mr S Bridges
Ancient History Teacher
Photographs
Year 11 Excursion to Nicholson Museum (above)
Photo 1: Hayley Fisher, Olivia Dunn, Kathy-May Sanayeh, Nikhita Kaur, Julie Tran in the arches at Sydney University’s Main Quadrangle.
Photo 2: The beautiful buildings of Sydney University’s Main Quadrangle.
Photo 3: The entrance to the Nicholson Museum.
Photo 4: Claudia Bussier and Layla Manson inspecting the artefacts.
Year 12 Excursion to Museum of Ancient Cultures (below)
Year 12 girls at Macquarie University’s museum workroom analyzing artefacts
Executive Director’s Summer Reading Challenge
Over the Christmas holidays, several students participated in the Executive Director’s Summer Reading Challenge. Students could read anything they liked to enter the Challenge - for example, a book, graphic novel, poetry, a play or an ebook - and then, after reading each text, they were required to write in 50 words or less why they loved it. Each text read and written about qualified students to enter the draw to win one of four iPad minis. Congratulations to the following students for their involvement in the Challenge. They received Participation certificates from Mr Greg Whitby, Executive Director of Schools for the Diocese of Parramatta:
Year 7
Alysia Miliotis
Year 8
Victoria Georges
Ashai Hawach
Paige Jabour
Natacha Nasrallah
Shanice Seaib
Bailey Soo
Le-Le Tang
Nicole Wang
Sarah Vella
Year 9
Trinity Taylor
Year 11 Design and Technology
Year 11 Design and Technology are currently involved in an architectural design proposal to re-purpose the Parramatta Female Factory. Part of the task was to write a short editorial about their learning and proposal.
Below are three of these articles
THE FACTORY THAT WILL STAND IT’S GROUND...
PARRAMATTA FEMALE FACTORY
“The architecture and architectural elements are of critical historical value”
- Parramatta Female Factory Action Group.
In 1818 the Female Factory in Parramatta was the first built Female Factory in Australia and was opened on the 30th January in 1821. It is located in the grounds of Cumberland Hospital, North Parramatta, New South Wales and has been repurposed many times including being used as: a refuge for convict women, hospital and medical facility, laundry and marriage bureau. The factory is significant in a national as well as international context and contains historical meaning for convict women sent to the colony of New South Wales. It is an extensive structure of three levels, built from high perimeter sandstone walls and stands amongst a large institutional complex of other sandstone buildings.
Being worthy of a world heritage site status, the Parramatta Female Factory contains the stories of women, displaying moments of hardship, migration and survival as they went on to become mothers, teachers, farm workers and businesswomen of the nation. As mentioned earlier the Factory had been repurposed a number of times and is currently used for training, storage, offices and consultation which could all be transferred elsewhere.
The Parramatta Female Factory Action Group believe, “The Parramatta Female Factory site needs to be protected, preserved, conserved, interpreted historically and made accessible to all Australians present and future.” A way to preserve this historical site, as well as making it modern, is to turn it into a Museum. Our proposal is to transform The Female Factory into an open site, including; Ghost tours, Escape room activity, 9D cinema, Conference room, Dormitory hotel room, Historical sites, Café as well as canteen and a Souvenir store. The Female Factory ‘Museum’ will not only be preserving the historical site but also give the opportunity to individuals to learn about the history of the Parramatta Female Factory and its past purpose.
As we progress through this project, we’d like to acknowledge Laura Sambono, an architect who was willing to give time and attention to teach and improve our skills in development and design. We greatly appreciate her time and efforts with the class and look forward to working with Laura again. We also appreciate the enthusiasm and dedication of Mrs Judith Dunn who was able to provide us with the history behind the Female Factory and its historical significance within our local area.
Rochelle Salatino and Elisa Kilic
Year 11 Design and Technology
Preserve Parramatta? Parra MATTERS
The Parramatta Female Factory was the first purpose built Female Factory in Australia and the destination for all unassigned convict women. These women were incarcerated for: constant drunkenness, prostitution, self inflicted bodily harm or committed illegal acts such as forgery and theft.
Why preserve the Female Factory? Preservation and restoration is the ultimate form of recycling. It helps reduce construction waste and saves energy that is usually spent on manufacturing and transporting building materials and tools. The preservation and restoration also plays a cultural role in our society. It maintains a tangible connection to our past. Moreover, by repurposing this building it acts as a spectacular architectural attraction to tourists. Historic buildings strongly exhibit the aesthetic and cultural history of a particular area. It is pivotal to preserve the Female Factory and if it is demolished, Australia will essentially be losing a part of its history.
A proposal has been put forth for the redevelopment of the Female Factory to change the three – storey building into a function centre, which is modern, innovative and practical for the community. The first floor consists of the administration area, a café and the main kitchen area. The second floor includes several conference rooms and a main lecture hall for larger business groups. The top floor exhibits a grand, elegant staircase as well as a stage and dance floor, a dressing room, and staff office. The main hall on the top floor will cater for all events and will seat up to 800 guests. The overall interior design of the building will be altered to suit its function. Storage rooms and bathrooms are provided on all three levels and lifts and escalators are installed and designed for easy access for everyone including people with disabilities. The landscaping of the exterior of the building establishes a picnic area for recreational purposes and also the construction of a car park.
Specialists such as designers, contractors, engineers, consultants, architects, project managers and suppliers will all be involved in the redevelopment of this building. They will cooperate and share their ideas, give advice and any technical information that is necessary for the careful analysis in the process of repurposing this building. They will also take into consideration the time, budget and quality of resources that are best for the society and its environment.
“It has been said that, at it’s best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a mutual concern for the future.” William Murtagh (first keeper of the National Register of Historic Places) emphasises our need to preserve historic sites in order to sustain our history.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Mrs Laura Sambono for the insightful lessons on floorplanning and 3D model making. This gave us a better understanding on design and as a result, can apply it to our project proposal. We also acknowledge the contribution of Mrs Judith Dunn in assisting us to gain a greater insight and understanding into the original purpose of the Female Factory.
Tram Pham and Gabriell Hanna
HISTORY OF PARRAMATTA LOST FOREVER?
With the first foundation stones laid on the 4th of May 1818, The Parramatta Female Factory has become an integral part of Australia’s migrant history. It is situated approximately three kilometres North of the Parramatta CBD, on roughly fifty six acres of land surrounded by the Parramatta River, off Fleet Street and New Street. The Parramatta Female Factory served many purposes including a refuge and assignment depot for convict women; a place of punishment for female convict re-offenders, hospital and medical facility, manufactory, laundry and marriage bureau.
As The Parramatta Female Factory is a significant reminder of Australia’s initial migrant foundations, the community must preserve and protect its historical and cultural integrity. In general, historically significant buildings contribute remarkably to a city’s culture and provide physical links between the past and present. These ideas are exemplified through The Female Factory as it was the first purpose built building of its kind in Australia and was the home of 12600 convict women during its time; making its conservation a priority.
Greens MP David Shoebridge describes the Female Factory as , "...a jewel in the world heritage crown...we only have one history and, if we kill it with the kind of development Urban Growth is proposing for Parramatta, we will kill it forever."
Through research, it was discovered that approximately 1 in 7 Australians were descended from women of the Parramatta Female Factory. With such a large number of the Australian population having links with the precinct’s history, it is vital to preserve and respect the history of the Female Factory by maintaining its original use as a place for women.
For the redevelopment of this historic site, a proposal has been put forward for the creation of a learning and welfare centre for women of low socioeconomic status. The design includes a range of beneficial resources and courses such as; cooking and self defence lessons, medical services, parenting courses along with a day care centre. It is hoped that this proposal will regenerate the neglected building in an innovative way; becoming highly beneficial to the wider community.
Mrs Laura Sambono was an integral part of the repurposing process, providing architectural knowledge and advice as well as assisting in the creation of the floor plan designs. Her involvement is greatly appreciated, as was the wisdom and historical insight provided by Mrs Judith Dunn.
Tayla Noble and Ciara O’Kane
Numeracy at Cerdon
There are some numbers, called Landmark Numbers, which share special relationships.
25 + 75 = 100
2 x 25 = 50
2 x 50 = 100
4 x 25 = 100
These Landmark Numbers and the relationships they share can be used to add, subtract, multiply and divide easily in our heads.
Have a look at the poster below and then try these mental calculations:
1. 101 – 25 =
2. 27 + 25 =
3. $1.25 + $0.76=
4. 175 +25 + 25 =
5. 325 + 50 + 75 =
6. 825 + 56 + 75 =
7. 200 ÷ 25 =
8. 250 ÷ 50 =
9. $249 + $51 =
10. 6 x 25 =
11. 50 x 12 =
12. $24 x 4 =
Grace Muscat
(Numeracy Coordinator and Acting Mathematics Coordinator)
Enrichment@Cerdon
This week the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) is celebrating Gifted Awareness Week. It is befitting that during this week Cerdon is hosting the Sydney heat of the International competition The Kids Lit Quiz, a competition for students who enjoy the sport of reading! Over thirty teams from schools as far as Newcastle and Glen Alpine will be joining us in what will certainly be an exciting event. The quiz is designed to be lots of fun with an element of competition, personal challenge and reward. This year three teams from Cerdon will be participating and we wish the girls every success and more importantly lots of fun.
The AAEGT is a national body which focuses its attention on the needs and concern of gifted children, their parents and teachers. To learn more about their work and to access further information on gifted and talented education, please visit http://www.aaegt.net.au/
As part of the celebrations for Gifted Awareness Week, AAEGT held a national poetry competition which focused on what it means to be gifted. This event attracted many wonderfully talented poetry competition entrants from across the country. The judging committee spoke of how amazed they were at the variety of experiences and depth of emotion many students shared through this process. I am pleased to announce that Rachael Menezes from Year 8 won third place in her division with her poem titled The Pianist Performance. Congratulations on such a fantastic achievement Rachael!
Rachael’s poem has now been published online. You can read her entry as well as all other winning entries by visiting the following link
Closing Soon… Apply Now!
Write4Fun- Competition
Entry is now open in the 2016 Schools Writing Competition! Students all over Australia are invited to enter their poems OR short stories, and battle it out for the great cash prizes on offer including iPads, Xbox1 and a first prize of $1000
Students are required to write a poem or short story on any theme. Students from all grades are welcome to enter. Entry is FREE and all entries must be in my Thursday 31st March 2016.
For further information please visit http://www.write4fun.net/
WHAT MATTERS? 2016
The Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University, offers students in NSW and the ACT the opportunity to write a 400-600 word opinion piece of what matters to them and why. There are a number of prizes on offer and students will be judged in categories based on their school year. For further information and to download an entry form, visit whitlam.org/whatmatters. The competition closes on May 6, 2016.
The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry awards 2016
All Australian school students are invited to participate in the 2016 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards 2016. This is an exciting competition for all students who enjoy writing and would like the opportunity to win some fantastic prizes. Students have a choice to use the optional theme ‘waiting’ or use any subject. All poems must be the student’s own original work. Entries must be submitted to Mrs Agius by June 5, 2016 for processing.
For further information visit http://www.dorothea.com.au/
The 2017 National Science Youth Forum
The National Youth Science forum is a 12 day residential program for students in year 11 who are passionate about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The NYSF program aims to show students the wide variety of study and career options in STEM fields.
NYSF applications are now open! If you would like to find out more information please visit https://www.nysf.edu.au/
Assessment Booklets & Assessment Central
Students can also access these document by logging into Classm8. They are to use their school username and password to log in and they can access the assessment handbook in Google Drive.
Parents and students can also download the assessment handbooks via Assessment Central. Either click on the link provided in this newsletter or navigate to the Assessment and Curriculum page on the College website to access Assessment Central. Each year group will have its own assessment handbook and assessment schedule.
All formal assessment tasks for Years 10-12 are also entered into the relevant Google calendar (see below for links to each calendar).
Whooping Cough
Please see information below regarding Whooping Cough
Time from exposure to illness
Usually 9 to 10 days (can range from 6 to 20 days).
Symptoms:
Starts with a running nose, followed by persistent cough that comes in bouts. Bouts maybe followed by vomiting and a whooping sound as the child gasps for air.
Do I need to keep my child home?
Yes, until the first 5 days of a special antibiotic have been taken.
How can I help prevent its spread?
Immunisation at 2, 4, 6 months and 4 years of age. A particular antibiotic can be given for the patient and those that have been in close contact. The infected child should be excluded from childcare and school until 5 days after treatment begins. Unimmunised childcare attendees may be excluded from childcare unless they take the antibiotics. Click here for NSW Health Whooping Cough Factsheet.
College Uniform Shop
Regular Trading Hours
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)
Cerdon College Uniform Shop Management
Telephone: 8724 7329 (During trading hours only)
Student Medical Information
Change of Contact Details
Please notify the College Office if you have changed any of your contact details ie. address, telephone number, email address, etc so that we are able to update our records accordingly.
Thank you
School Fee Statements
School Fees Statements for 2016 have been issued to families by the Catholic Education Office. Term 1 school fees are due for payment by Monday 7 March 2016. Included with your statement are the various payment options available to you. Should you decide to take one of these options please complete and return the paperwork promptly in the envelope provided.
Please contact the College if you have not received your statement or if you require any further information. Thank you.
Finance Department
Cerdon College
School Excursions and Incursions
As you are aware, you have provided the school with permission to conduct certain excursions and incursions and sports activities. For those activities covered by the general permission note, you will receive a notification where it is appropriate to do so (eg for an excursion).
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 payment.
A copy of each notification and permission note is also available from the College Website.
School Calendars
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.
There are 127 fixed digital speed cameras installed in NSW, of which 57 are in school zones.
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.
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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