College Newsletter
Term 4 Week 4 - Friday 4 November 2016
A Message from the Principal
As I resume my role as Principal at Cerdon College after my period of secondment to another school in the Parramatta Diocese, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Mr Frank Caristo for the outstanding manner in which he has led the College over the past two and a half terms. I would also like to thank Mr Nathan Mulheron who has acted as Assistant Principal, Ms Stephanie Ackaoui who has acted as Religious Education Co-ordinator, Mr Paul Freeman who has acted as Assistant Religious Education Co-ordinator and Mr Ryan Zammit who has acted as Assistant Principal for the first three weeks of this term. Each of these teachers has filled in these roles and have ensured continued effective functioning of the school.
Many thanks to the entire Cerdon College community for their very warm welcome back to the College.
As I write this newsletter our Year 12 students have today completed their final HSC examinations, our Year 11 students are completing their first units of work for the HSC and our Year 7 to 10 students are completing assignments and examinations as part of their ongoing Assessment requirements.
God our Father,
we live in a country endowed with
many natural resources.
We pray for wisdom
that we may use our resources well
whilst also caring for our environment and people.
We pray, too,
that the many human resources
of all nations
may develop as people who respect and value
tolerance and the dignity and rights
of each individual.
Amen
God Bless
Mrs Patricia Baker
Principal
In Sympathy
We were saddened by the news last week of the passing of Brendan Layton, a Year 7 student at St Paul's Catholic College, Greystanes and brother of Angelica Layton in Year 10.
Please keep the Layton family and the school communities in your thoughts and prayers at this time.
May he rest in peace.
Amen
Change of Afternoon Bus Pick Up Location
Cerdon College has been contacted by the bus company that operates the buses to Smithfield and Bossley Park in the afternoon. These services in the afternoon will run as normal, however, students will now be picked up at the T-Way bus stop in front of the staff car park on Sherwood Road. Staff supervision will be altered accordingly.
With regard to the Sherwood Road Carpark, it is now more important than ever that parents do not attempt to drop off or pick up their daughters in this carpark. The safety of our students is imperative with students having to walk to the T-Way bus stop through this carpark to catch their buses.
Rank order notice for HSC subjects is now available.
Campion Education Booklists for Years 7-11 2017
Campion Education would like to let you know that booklists for Years 7-11 are now available and can be completed online at www.campion.com.au. Please place your order by Friday 9th of December, 2016 for home delivery or for the school collect option.
When ordering online you will need to use the following Access Code: “F6QZ”
All orders placed online are delivered to your Home, Office or any designated address. The parcels will be delivered the week ending 20th January 2017 or ready to collect from the school collect option on Wednesday 25th January 2017.
Placing your order online by the due date is the best way to ensure students will receive all available items in time for the start of the new school year.
Wishing all students the best for the coming year!
The Team at Campion Education
Study Skills Handbook
What do you do in the few days before an examination?
At least a few days before the exam, make sure you do the following:
- Plan out how much time you should spend on each section of the test.
- By looking at past papers, get a feel for the types of instructions that will be on your paper.
- Do some exercise so you can burn off the pent-up stress that can come before exams.
- Look after your body – lots of water to juice up your brain, healthy food, decent sleep.
- To calm nerves, make mental pictures of yourself sitting down and doing well in the test.
- Purchase any equipment you may need, extra calculator batteries, pens, rulers etc.
- Ensure you know what equipment is allowed in the test or exam.
- Focus on reviewing the key points, perhaps a condensed version of your summaries.
- Practise as many past test papers as you can get your hands on.
- Check the timetable to ensure you have a clear picture of when each exam is being held.
The night before the test or exam:
- Pack your bag with everything you will need for the next day, ensuring you have all necessary equipment.
- Plan what time you need to leave to ensure you have plenty of time for unexpected delays.
- Don’t go to bed too late – you need to make sure your brain is fresh and alert.
- Don’t ring friends and discuss your preparation or the examination.
- Just before you go to sleep, look through your notes briefly.
- If you have a number of exams, check the timetable to doubly confirm the date, time and location of the exam.
The morning of the test or exam:
- Visualise success. Before you get out of bed close your eyes and picture yourself going into the exam, doing well and coming out pleased with your efforts.
- Review your notes. You are not doing intense study at this stage, just looking through and reminding yourself of the main things you want to remember.
- Eat breakfast. Your brain needs fuel so eat a hearty breakfast so you can focus and concentrate in the exam.
- Be on time. Make sure you leave enough time for contingencies so you won’t be late.
- Avoid negativity. Don’t stand around in the group discussing what you did and didn’t study.
You can learn more about exam techniques at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with these details:
Username: cerdoncollege
Password: achieve
Maumere Immersion
This year, six Year 10 students and nine Year 11 students set off on Tuesday 27th September to head to the town of Maumere, on Flores Island Indonesia. Prepared for the trip of a lifetime and hyped on adrenaline, the group settled on our flight to Bali, however it did not go as planned. Three hours into our 6 hour flight we were told we would need to return to Sydney, due to a volcano erupting too close to Bali airport. Two days later on Thursday the 29th of September, we all returned to Sydney airport a little less enthusiastic, however after a backwards trip to Melbourne and two delayed flights, we finally arrived to Maumere on Saturday the 1st of October.
In the days to come all the struggles we went through on our journey to arrive didn’t matter anymore as we realised we definitely had embarked on the journey of a lifetime.
We spent most of our mornings in Bhaktyarsa, the senior high school, socialising with the students and sharing our language and culture with them. These school trips were definitely the highlight for most of our group because even though we were there to teach them English, I am certain that we learnt much more from them.
This trip for us was almost like an escape, an escape to see the beauty of God’s world and discover a new form of happiness. We didn’t expect to be treated in such a welcoming manner. I personally feel as if we received more than we gave. These amazing people had so little money and material possessions to share, but instead gave us the most precious gift of all, their love.
Along with meeting the students we experienced many amazing things in our time in Maumere, such as visiting Koka beach, which is described as one of the world's top 10 most beautiful beaches, visiting the statue of Mary Mother of all Nations on Nilo Hill, and visiting the home of the Missionaries of God’s Love (MGL).
Throughout our time on our trip the MGL brothers definitely taught us much about life on the island. We learnt many things on our journey to Maumere, and though I cannot speak for the other 15 girls who traveled with me, I feel as though there is one lesson which is most valuable - 'Do not get caught up in the little things'. This was a lesson that we began learning the moment our plane was turned back to Sydney on the first day of our travels, and one I feel we will never stop learning.
The people of Maumere, all of which have been born into a poor community have so little and so many reasons to let life get the better of them, yet, they are the strongest and happiest people I have ever met. They do not worry about the small things and instead focus on the positives in their lives. Their family, their friends and their religion, inspire them to keep going and work harder. This in turn should inspire us to focus on the positives in our lives and make changes to the way we view the world.
The people of Maumere gave us their time, their hugs, their smiles, their laughter, their positiveity and so much more. It is for this reason that our immersion to Maumere, will be an experience we will never forget. If you’re given the opportunity to take part next year, I would recommend this experience to all my fellow students.
Riley Carroll
Vice Captain, Social Justice and Community Service
Immersion Participants:
Anh Nguyen, April Sweeney, Breeanna Mathews, Carla Boumelhem, Courtney Soo, Emma Banboukjian, Hayley Fisher, Janine Udan, Kayla Furness, Lucinda Lau, Mikayla Menouhos, Nicole Cinque, Rachel Newman, Teresa Tran
Year 11 Marist Forum
On the 23rd of September, after a tedious week of preliminary examinations, Chelsea McIntyre, Thy Mai, Allyson Issa and Rebecca Antaki left the school for the Marist Youth Forum and a weekend we would never forget. As we nervously boarded the bus to depart Granville station, we remained close to each other, excited and quite anxious about the weekend. The bus eventually reached Mittagong and we were in awe of the vibrancy of the town and the beauty of The Hermitage.
We were greeted by the staff, the cows and the two farm dogs. We collected our bags from the bus and after a brief meeting, began to socialise with the other participants of the forum. It was amazing to interact with such a variety of students and broaden our friendship within the Marist community of schools. Although it was daunting at first, it was a great experience and it developed our understanding of Marist community. We were all so grateful for the positive vibes and friendly attitudes everyone had as it helped ease the nerves of being in a new place surrounded by new people.
We attended a short, but beautiful liturgy before sitting for dinner - an elaborate feast, where our group of Cerdon students was allocated to a variety of different groups. This challenged our ability to socialise with students who we did not know. Being separated from the students with whom we interact daily, was definitely one of the more challenging aspects of this weekend but luckily we overcame it and made new friends along the way!
The second day of the camp (Saturday) was one of deep spiritual enrichment, as we were exposed to a myriad of social justice issues, which were introduced by a variety of guest speakers including, Sister Noelene sm. It was quite a confronting, but empowering day, which ended with another beautifully planned and executed liturgy. During this liturgy we reflected on the different aspects of the day and were challenged to reflect on the things we had learnt so far. After a day filled with moral challenges and enrichment we were treated to a very entertaining parody of ‘Eurovision’ which was brilliantly conducted by the supervisors and was a wonderful way of bringing the forum group together.
The ‘forum’ itself touched on topics such as domestic violence, refugees and racism. All the participants were enthusiastic and passionate about the topics under discussion and many different perspectives were forthcoming. The thorough and intense discussion unveiled new insights and views on things. This gave us all something new to walk away with. It was reassuring to see such passion in the Marist community. In particular, the social justice issues raised challenged us to work at ways to reduce these issues in our community.
After such an engaging and busy weekend we were all devastated at the prospect of leaving such a wonderful setting and experience. We all made many new friends and learned what it means to be a Marist student in regard to spirituality and the impact each individual can have in working at solutions for social justice issues. We were all left with candles that embodied the new things and new potentials we had uncovered during the weekend. These candles remain with us today as a reminder of this wonderful weekend and act as a constant reminder of our newfound potential as a Marist community. We all walked away from this weekend having gained new insight on ways we can aid in social justice issues and all the things we can do as Marists to help make the world a better place by implementing Marist values and traditions into our everyday lives. We all has such an amazing time, it was such a shame we couldn’t stay longer!
Rebecca Antaki, Chelsea McIntyre
Young Women's Leadership Seminar
On Wednesday 19th of October we represented our school at the Young Women's Leadership Seminar at the Parliament of NSW. We discussed concepts and definitions of leadership, issues that might affect women in leadership roles and met 4 inspiring women who are leaders in our Parliament and community. We were welcomed and introduced to a freelance science journalist, Bianca Nogrady, who gave us an insight into her life and her rise to leadership. We then visited the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council where we observed Parliament in action. Finally we presented questions to a discussion panel with female members of Parliament about their experiences in leadership. Overall it was very inspiring and a great experience.
Natasha Milakovic and Rebecca Dinh
Numeracy at Cerdon
BEBRAS AUSTRALIAN COMPUTATIONAL THINKING CHALLENGE 2016
On the 12th and 13th September, over 300 students from Years 7 – 9 participated in the Bebras Australian Computational Thinking Challenge. This is a challenge, not a competition; over 40 000 primary and secondary students have participated in since 2014.
The Challenge aims to promote Computational Thinking and leave students with a positive impression about Digital Technologies. Students are required to solve tasks by thinking in and about digital technologies, discrete structures, computation, data processing, and algorithmic concepts.
The Challenge required students to work in groups of no more than 4 and solve the tasks collaboratively. This was Cerdon’s initial involvement and it left a positive impression on both students and teachers with students diligently, creatively and enthusiastically tackling the tasks. The tasks were challenging and it is a credit to students’ that they persisted; an essential quality in problem solving.
Students were very successful and of the 67 groups who participated 7 of these groups were awarded a Merit and another 16 groups awarded a Credit. The following girls were in the five groups who were awarded Distinctions:
Year 7:
· Alyssa Abou Hamed, Michelle Dang and Elizabeth Fan Ling
· Lauren Farrugia, Lauryn Galea and Nicola Lubczyk
· Victoria Nguon, Claudia Portolesi and Jessica Truong
Year 8:
· Brijet Mellier, Aleyna Ozbal and Bailey Soo
· Victoria Georges, Illana Mellis and Kalliope Mentis
Year 9:
· Wendy Le, Annemary Tran and Pei-i Althea Trieu
Congratulations to all students who received an award in the Challenge. All awards will be presented at the end of the year.
Mrs Muscat
(Numeracy Coordinator and Acting Mathematics Coordinator)
Enrichment@Cerdon
In this week’s issue we have some insights from the students who, during their holidays, participated in the Conoco Phillips Science Experience at the UNSW. This popular holiday program, allows students to participate in science activities which often they can’t experience in the school setting. Also in this issue, read about the Year 10 Knowledge Challenge which concluded with a very exciting final last week.
The Conoco Phillips Science Experience at UNSW
On the 5th-7th of October, my friends Mickayla Anderson, Sera Baran, and I (Natalia Matar) traveled to the University of New South Wales to participate in the Conoco Phillips Science Experience. We had the chance to meet new people and travel the campus while discovering new things and great opportunities. This gave us the chance to explore ideas for future purposes and this experience allowed us to see that there is much more to science then we knew. On the first day, we got placed into teams where the students from Cerdon College were separated and we were placed with people from different schools. We also had lovely team leaders who are all a part of the Young Scientists Australia Program (YSA Sydney), who stayed with us throughout our journey. We got to know each other and we worked together in groups to answer questions about the different things we saw and heard. Some of the questions involved interacting with students of the University which allowed us to understand why they chose to attend UNSW. On our breaks, we had lots of fun playing mind games and helping our fellow team members answer the questions. Overall, I highly recommend this opportunity to other students who are interested in science and also for those who aren't. This was a fun and great experience which would be enjoyed by all students!During the three days we saw the RoboCup robots in action and we also visited UNSW's Museum of Human Disease. We learnt a whole lot about Materials Science Engineering and even Optometry. The experience was a fun and interesting one and we would definitely do it again. There were challenges you had to complete in groups against other teams, which were most definitely one of the best parts. In the end medals were awarded for winning 1st, 2nd or 3rd place and we all went home with happy smiles. We would definitely recommend this experience to those interested in the STEM subjects. (Daniela Valdivia)
Insights from a mentor…
Over the course of three days during the school holidays (5th to the 7th of October), I was given the opportunity to staff a few Cerdon students and 20 other students who participated in the UNSW science experience. During this time, they were exposed to the different areas of sciences that include optometry, engineering, physics, environmental sciences and biology.
The Year 10 Cerdon College Knowledge Challenge.
There was a lot of excitement in the library last week as the Knowledge Challenge ran its course over five days. After winning the challenge in the past three years, Colin was out to prove that they could do it again, while all the other houses, particularly Perroton, worked very hard to stop a repeated victory by Colin. Both semi-finals were contests between the Colin and Perroton teams , as was the grand final match. This last game was a true testimony of how talented and knowledgeable both teams were, with scores tied many times throughout the contest. In the end Perroton proved that they were very deserving of being in the finals, by losing the contest by only three points. Congratulations to Samara Khaire, Catalina Gonzalez, Amanda Awad and Mina Macaroglu from Perroton for their wonderful effort throughout the competition. Congratulations to Lucy Tan, Nicole Gereige, Elise Cribbin and Balpreet Sunner for their fantastic effort and for once again winning the challenge for Colin House
The University of Sydney Gifted and Talented Discovery Program
This science program offered annually by The University of Sydney attracts the top 10% of students across Australia and is open to students currently in Year 8 and 9. The three day program provides gifted students the opportunity to engage with University teaching staff and current researchers, access first-class facilities and make friends with people who have a mutual interest in science. Students will participate in stimulating and challenging science experiences and workshops.
Entry to this prestigious program is via a qualifying exam which will take place at school on November 15. Interested and able students are to see Mrs Agius for further information and to register their interest for the qualifying exam.
The Somerset National Novella Writing Competition
Calling all writers…The Somerset National Novella Writing Competition is open to all Australian high school students. It is a wonderful opportunity for serious student writers, encouraging them in their literary growth. Students are required to write a Novella between 8000 - 20 000 words. The Novella will be judged by an expert panel. Winners from each state will be flown to the Gold Coast to enjoy the Somerset Celebration of Literature Festival and will receive a cash prize. The overall winner will receive a first prize of $2500.
If you enjoy writing this a fantastic opportunity for you and with the holidays starting, there is no better time to get creative and write! For further information please visit http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/celebration-of-literature/. Entries close December 2, 2016.
The Somerset National Poetry Prize
The purpose of the Somerset National Poetry Prize is to encourage a love of writing poetry in secondary school students, to affirm it as a worthwhile literary pursuit, and to stimulate excellence in writing. It also aims to inspire and enrich youth literature. If you enjoy writing poetry this is a fantastic opportunity for you. There are fantastic prizes on offer including flights to the Gold Coast to enjoy the Somerset celebration of Literature Festival. For further information please visit http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/celebration-of-literature/competitions/poetry-prize/
The competition closes December 9, 2016.
Mrs S Agius
Enrichment Co-ordinator
Cricket
A big congratulations to Elise Noble of Year 9 who has been selected in the U15 NSW Metropolitan Cricket Squad. This squad will compete against teams from around the country at the National Championships in Canberra from January 18 to 24 next year. This is a fantastic achievement and a great opportunity for Elise to be able to compete against Australia’s best cricketers in the U15 age group. Best of luck, Elise!
PDSSSC Blues Awards
Congratulations to Shiarna Tarasenko of Year 10 and Mary Cham of Year 9, who have both been selected to receive a PDSSSC Blues Award for excellence in sport for 2016.
Mary Cham has excelled in the sport of Taekwondo once again in 2016. Firstly, she won the Silver Medal at the Australian National Championships on August 26 2016. She represented NSW, competing against the two time and current national champion. Mary put up a great contest leading until midway through the second round. She walked away with the silver medal in her first ever national competition representing NSW. Mary has done her state, club and family very proud in the way she conducted herself both on and off the mat. She displayed a high standard of professionalism and sportsmanship with her team members and with competitors from other states. Mary also won the Silver Medal at NSW All Schools Championships on Saturday September 3 2016. Mary competed well at this competition despite an ankle injury. She finished the final valiantly withstanding the pain which clearly troubled her through the second round taking this bout to the very last second losing 10-12 to receive the Silver medal. Congratulations Mary on these wonderful achievements in 2016.
Shiarna and Mary will receive their award at a ceremony to be held at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta on Wednesday November 16. Congratulations to Shiarna and Mary on a wonderful year of sport.
Mr Zammit
PDHPE and Sport Co-ordinator
Information from Transdev Regarding the School Opal Card
From the Archives ...
School Calendars
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)
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