St Benedict's Catholic College
Newsletter 25 October 2019
HAPPY WORLD TEACHERS DAY - 2019
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome back to Term 4.
Last week we celebrated the Feast Day of St Francis (patron saint of our diocese’s “newest school ). Most every Benedictine student or monastic knows that St. Francis made a pilgrimage to Subiaco, where Benedict began his monastic journey. When I visited there recently, on one of the walls is a fresco of Francis as a memento of that visit. Clearly Saint Benedict must have meant a lot to Francis, and perhaps he saw something of himself in Benedict. And if at first blush they seem to have little in common, I think we’d miss an element that is key to the story of each. Both of them fled social environments that they found toxic. For his part Francis fled the bourgeois wealth of his family, and Benedict fled the wealth of Rome.
For them neither wealth nor creation were intrinsically “bad”. On the other hand they each had seen how wealth and power could transform even the best of people. Neither wanted to be in the number of the latter. Part of the “Benedictine Way” is learning the variety of ways in which we can express humility and let our gifts be of service to others.
And so, on the feast of Saint Francis our community celebrates with joy all of God’s creation, as Francis did. And then let us remember that God has put us here not to be transformed by the good things of the earth. Rather, let us transform all those good things and put them into the service of the Lord.
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The students have presented well in their summer uniforms upon return from holidays. For parents who are unclear about issues such as skirt lengths and hair regulations, please read Mr Costin’s reminders elsewhere in the Newsletter.
Our Year 12 students began the Higher School Certificate this week and we wish them all the best over the next 4 weeks. I had an email from the community of Benedictine Monks in Norcia asking me to assure Year 12 that the community in the home of St Benedict is keeping our students in their prayers. In addition, our Year 11 students return to school to begin the final leg of their HSC journey after completing their Preliminary Course. This is a time of discernment for them: we use Commitment Theory (useful for all of us in a period of decision making) to work through this time of challenge and decision. We use the acronym ACT as we work through this time for our students :
Acceptance – a willingness to accept that times can be/are tough and be present to those.
Commitment- to change for the better following the right course of actions. This is also may mean reconsidering our learning paths at school or work.
As part of this process we include our parents and the first of these is the HSC Information Evening held on Monday 11 November and, appropriately, this runs in tandem with our Parent Teacher Student conversations also held on that evening. We look forward to seeing Year 11 parents then.
Finally, congratulations to Year 9 who had their first Outdoor Education experience last week. A little later, and warmer, than most years, a great time was had by all. Most importantly, with a digital detox, students had the opportunity to be present to themselves, their friends, and nature. Research is very clear that being away from a built environment and in the outdoors has positive effects for mental health. In a controlled, challenge by choice programme such as the Monte Cassino programme we run with Somerset, our students better skill themselves for the challenges ahead in their academic life.
Warm regards
Michael Hanratty
Principal
FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Pupil Free Day
At the start of this term the staff were engaged in a Professional Learning Day around Teaching and Learning. This was a great day to look at our College and the direction in regards to challenging students to perform to the best of their ability.
Year 11 State Library Excursion
Last week also saw several Year 11 students attend an excursion to the State Library of NSW. This was a great opportunity for students to become familiar with the State Library and to develop their research skill, which will be important during their studies.
Year 9 Outdoor Education
We also held our Outdoor Education experience for Year 9 recently. This is always a great opportunity for students to learn and be challenged in a different setting. As has happened on previous experiences, students were receptive to the experience, learnt a lot and enjoyed their time. A big thank you to all students and staff for their efforts.
DIO Boys Cricket
The boys were involved this week in the DIO cricket competition. As always, the boys represented the College with pride and tried their best all day – well done boys.
DIO Girls Basketball
The girls played very well in Wollongong this week in the DIO basketball competition. The senior girl's made it into the semi-finals. All girl's played their best and represented the College with pride - well done girls.
HSC Examinations
The HSC examinations have also started and Year 12 are busy preparing and completing exams. We wish Year 12 the best of luck and continue to pray for them during this important time.
Busy Assessment Time
It’s a busy assessment time coming up over the next few weeks and I wish all students the best of luck as they complete these tasks and examinations. A reminder to all students that if you require any assistance, to make sure that you see your classroom teacher.
Mr David Costin
Assistant Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER
Present - 12 November - HSC Exams
Friday 1 November - Vaccinations - Year 7 Visit 2 and Year 10 Catch Ups
Monday 4 - Tuesday 12 November - Year 10 Exams
Wednesday 6 - Friday 8 November - Senior Retreat
Monday 11 November - Year 11 HSC Information Evening and Teacher/Parent/Student conversations
Tuesday 12 November - P&F Meeting
Wednesday 13 November - Girls in Science Forum
Thursday 14 - Thursday 21 November - Year 9 Exams
Thursday 14 November - Stage 6 Geography Mandatory Field Study
Thursday 21 November - HSC Modern History Site Study
Wednesday 27 November - PASS How to Surf Excursion
Friday 29 November - Year 8 Science Centre and Planetarium Excursion
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MISSION AND VISION
Pope Francis' Prayer for October 2019
Heavenly Father, when your only begotten Son Jesus Christ rose from the dead, he commissioned his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” and you remind us that through our Baptism we are made sharers in the mission of the Church.
Empower us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be courageous and zealous in bearing witness to the Gospel, so that the mission entrusted to the Church, which is still very far from completion, may find new and efficacious expressions that bring life and light to the world.
Help us make it possible for all peoples to experience the saving love and mercy of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
October 2019 is an Extraordinary Missionary Month. We are called during this time to do something extraordinary for God and to celebrate the mission of women, men and children all around the world. So, what is your mission?
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention October 2019
Here we are...the beginning of Term 4. Where has the year gone!
The first day of term, College Staff spent the day discussing and looking at Learning Culture and Strategic Planning for 2020. During the RE session, the teachers unpacked the NCEC Framing Paper: Religious Education in Australian Catholic Schools (Copy). A fruitful discussion was had on:
Aim of Religious Education
Who are our learners at SBCC?
What needs to be our focus in 2020 and beyond
The RE Teacher
Senior Retreat
Excitement is in the air and final preparations are in place for the Senior Retreat which will take place Week 4 at the beautiful Port Hacking. The purpose of the Year 12 Retreat is to provide an opportunity for each student to reflect, share and learn about themselves, their relationship with others (especially their family), and their relationship with God. This process will take place through a number of planned activities and a Retreat Liturgy.
The Retreat is part of the Religious Education Program and as such, it is compulsory that every Year 12 student attend. The Retreat promises to be a very rewarding and worthwhile experience.
To know ourselves truly, we need to take time to ‘listen’ to ourselves and reflect on what is happening in our lives and to come to terms with what it means for us. It provides a unique opportunity for students to develop an understanding of themselves in the world. They will be challenged with the ideas of what they value and what they believe is important to them, as this is where their ‘heart’ will be. They will also be challenged with things that once were important and possibly no longer or things that they might need to consider to be important.
We wish our incoming Year 12s a wonderful retreat that builds and strengthens friendships and allows them time to stop, reflect and consider their goals over the coming 12 months. A reflection and report will be provided by students in the next Newsletter.
National Prayer Campaign for Drought
The Catholic Church in Australia is dedicating the month of November 2019 as a time to pray for those affected by crippling drought conditions and to pray for the gift of rain.
Parishes, schools, families and other Catholic communities across the country are being encouraged to participate in the National Prayer Campaign for Drought, which also invites people to provide assistance to those most in need. The month of prayer is an additional response to the local work being done in affected communities.
Please find below a series of resources to mark the National Prayer Campaign for Drought, as well as local initiatives to support those affected by the drought.
Warm Regards
Kimberley Logue
Director of Mission and Vision
Year 7 Ingham and Year 7 Hildegard - Religion
In our recent Religion lesson, Year 7 Ingham and Year 7 Hildegard planted their own individual plants as part of our new unit, Stewards of Creation. The lesson started off with both classes discussing the importance and meaning of Stewardship with Mr Agoo and Miss Brown.
Following this, Ingham and Hildegard went to pick up rubbish in our schoolyard to demonstrate the topic of ecological responsibility. Ecological Responsibility, as part of being Stewards of Creation, is the responsibility or job of taking care of something. After cleaning the yard, the classes gathered around in a large circle and received a small planting pot. We were then each called up to the centre of the circle to receive some soil to put in our pots. After this, we remained in the circle and Miss Brown came around with some seeds for each of the students to place in their soil.
After this process, we were instructed to lightly water our plants at the bubbler. After watering our plants we went down to the garden near the science block and we planted our plants. The purpose of this activity was to practice Stewardship by accepting the responsibility of taking care of these plants.
Daniel L
SOR II EXCURSION TO THE STATE LIBRARY
As we transition from Year 11 to Year 12, the two-unit religion class travelled to the NSW State library in the city. There we attended a session run by the library on how to effectively utilise the library’s resources, which will be extremely helpful as we go into year 12.
We also went on a journey behind the scenes, exploring the underground storage rooms and ventured through the countless rooms of beautiful books and portraits throughout the library. Some favourites included, The Shakespeare room, the Reading Room, which reminded all of us of Beauty and the Beast, and the Children’s Reading room, with books hanging from the ceiling.
We also went on a stroll around Sydney and had a great picnic at circular quay, which was a fantastic way to reflect on what we have learned and to end the day.
Thanks to Mr Bulfon, Mrs Salinitri and Mrs Conte.
“It was actually really fun”
CAPA NEWS
Music and Drama News
Another busy start to the term with the opening of our new Production Suite. This space has been set up with recording equipment for the Elective Music and Drama classes. This enables our students to have a hands-on experience to music technology, film scoring and voice recordings in a digital manner. Huge thanks go to Mr O’Donnell for creating this opportunity for our students.
A big congratulations go out to the following students;
Faith A. – Yr 11
Charlotte C. – Yr 9
Emily D. – Yr 9
Hannah D. – Yr 8
who performed ‘How Great Thou Art’ at assembly last Tuesday. Many pleasing comments of support were given to these wonderful performers throughout the day.
Art Club continues with another exciting project.
COLLEGE SPORT
AFL:
Selena B, Harry M
Cricket:
Emily W, Joesph C
Swimming:
Tahlia E, Brendan R
Mixed Sports:
Dylan P, William H, Marcus Z, Allirah B
Gymnastics:
Carlie B
Soccer:
Pauline A, Olivia R
Netball:
Lavinia H, Corey M
UFC:
Luke X, Isaac O
Kickboxing:
Karla L, Harrison G
Gym:
Damon S
Powerwalking:
Michael L
Bowling B:
Emilie S, Elijah R
Dance:
Isabelle B-R, Jarrod B
Barefoot Bowls:
Aleyah M
Tennis:
Ben C
Beach Sports:
Ethan A
Skating:
Marco Corbo
Golf:
Morgan White
Flipout:
Bella K, Kate L
MISA Sport
Our MISA teams had their first week of competition against Mount Carmel Catholic College
Year 7-9 Boys Oztag Loss
MVP: Connoe B
Year 7-9 Girls Oztag Loss
MVP: Sofia L
Year 7-9 Girls AFL Loss
MVP: Jessica H
Year 7-9 Boys AFL Win
MVP: Joseph A
Year 7-9 Boys Indoor Cricket Win
MVP: Cameron Mc F
Year 10-11 Mixed Fisbee Loss
MVP: Aaron O’C
Yours in sport
Ms Julia Liska
Sport Coordinator
DIO Basketball
This year we had four great teams enter into the Diocesan Basketball Championships. The girls had an early start down to Wollongong, whilst the boys were local and played at Minto. It was a great day where all four teams provided fierce competition against the other schools.
Mr Agoo and Mr Reyes coached the boy’s teams and were able to provide the team with some new tactics and strategies for the game.
Miss Brown and Miss Ferguson also provided their teams with some great tactics which saw them win a couple of games. The Senior girl’s team made it to the Semi’s, however, they were unfortunate not to make the finals.
All four teams are to be congratulated on their efforts on the day, and for representing the College with pride.
Miss Julia Liska
Sport Cooridnator
DIO Cricket
Wednesday 23 October, nine super eager and competitive boys made their way to Thomas Dalton Park to play in the annual Diocesan Cricket Championships. It was a great day for the boys where they were able to showcase their cricket ability to all Diocesan schools.
Although the boys did not make the semi’s this was not a reflection of their efforts and commitment on the pitch. All nine boys and the teachers that accompanied the boys should be proud of their achievements as they never gave up and played to the best of their ability in all four games.
Miss Julia Liska
Sport Coordinator
THE BEARS - NEWS
The students in the College Environment Club (the BEARs) have had a busy start to Term 4, continuing with several important environmental initiatives, and embarking on some new activities as the weather starts to warm.
On Tuesday 22 of October, two members of the BEARs, Hayley and Madison, took part in the 2019 Aussie Backyard Bird Count. This is an activity that involves observing and counting the birds that live near/in our school grounds. By participating in this event, we are helping BirdLife Australia, the nation’s largest bird conservation organisation, develop an understanding of local birds with the purpose of stopping extinctions.
Our vegetable garden has continued to thrive, welcoming the warming sunshine and bits of rain received over the Term 3 holiday break. The coriander has grown particularly well, with enough to be used in Food Technology classes and be shared with the school staff to take home. The tomato plant has started creeping across the garden bed so BEARs members Nicholas and Jared installed some wooden stakes this week to ensure the vine continues to grow well.
The BEARs have also been able to plant some new vegetables and herbs with the donations of several Woolworths Discovery Garden seedling kits from College staff members. Rhiannon, Amy, Eliza and Sophia spent some time this week planting dill, carrot, rocket and kale. We would like to extend a huge thank you for these donations as the response was overwhelming and is allowing the College to continue to grow in our journey of sustainability.
With our growing garden, the BEARs are seeking donations for any of the following items to help us continue on with our mission to care for creation:
Garden pots of any size (ideally light-weight)
Potting mix
Items that could be reused as a pot e.g. large Milo tins or gum boots
Watering can
Gardening gloves
Wooden spoons (used to label items in the garden)
We would like to extend a special thank you to Mrs McFarlane, Mr Topham, Mrs Logue and all staff and students for their continued help and support of the BEARs.
Miss Joyce
School Uniform Shop
The school uniform shop are taking bookings for uniform fittings. It is important that Year 9 students book in early for their senior uniforms. Please call Ranier to book an appointment on 4647 8942, please see flyer below.
P & F CLOTHING POOL
The clothing pool is open on Friday mornings from 8:00 - 8:30am. Students are welcome to come if parents are unable to. Cash sales only.
We would also welcome any donations of uniforms, school bags, lap top bags etc. as stocks are running low.
Café News
Lunch Order – Any lunch order completed through Flexischools, lunch collection for hot food is in the oven labelled “Lunch Orders” any Cold Food is in the Milk Fridge.
All orders including drinks are labelled with Students name and order. If students cannot find their lunch order, please can you ask the CAFÉ staff for assistance.
2020 school travel applications now open
Applications for student travel in 2020 opened on Friday, 11 October 2019.
Students progressing to year 3 and year 7 no longer need to re-apply if they:
· are continuing at the same school
· are residing at the same address
· have not been sent an expiry notification from Transport for NSW.
Where a student meets the new distance eligibility, the system will automatically update their entitlement. If they do not meet the new eligibility, they will receive an expiry notification via email.
Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition which is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.
Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.
If students need to update their information or re-apply, they should go online to https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/updateDetails
Applications need to be submitted before 31 December 2019 to ensure student entitlements are updated and their current entitlement/card is not cancelled. If their application is submitted after 31 December 2019, the system will automatically cancel an entitlement/card and a new one will need to be issued.
Students in the Opal network applying for a SSTS or Term Bus Pass entitlement for the first time will receive their card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2020.
Students residing in Rural and Regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the commencement of the new school year from their nominated operator, this may be distributed via the school or sent direct to their address. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/Parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.