St Benedict's Catholic College
Newsletter Friday 28 MAY 2021
NATIONAL SORRY DAY - WEDNESDAY 26 MAY 2021
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
On Monday, together with our College Captains, I attended a celebration Mass in Wollongong to mark the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia. This celebration brought together students, staff, religious orders, and clergy from 45 schools across the Diocese of Wollongong including schools in the Macarthur, Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and Southern Highlands.
The first Catholic school in the Diocese of Wollongong was established in 1828 in Campbelltown, with St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish Primary School opening in Wollongong in 1838.
Each school was presented with a book titled “Lighting the Way” – A History of Catholic Schooling in the Diocese of Wollongong 1828-2020 written by Charles McGee.
Below is a prayer to celebrate this significant milestone.
Year 12 Interviews
Over the past few weeks, I have met with our Year 12 students, which has been a wonderful experience. Our Year 12 students are an incredible bunch of young people, and I can easily see from speaking with them, why they are held in such high regard by staff.
These interviews have been a chance for the students to speak about their post-school destinations and to reflect on their past six years of Catholic secondary education.
These interviews are also an opportunity to hear from students if there are things that haven’t been going so well, and hopefully, together, help students sort through as to why it didn’t go so well, and also, to point them in the direction of the most appropriate support to make different decisions in the future. I hope that our support will lead towards each and every student accomplishing their hopes, dreams and goals.
Mrs K Piatek
College Principal
P&F NEWS
The clothing pool is re-opened on-site for fittings and purchases via appointment only.
Please send an email to pandf@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au for any enquiries.
Fiona Place
P&F President
PLEASE BE ADVISED THE CAFE WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 4 JUNE FOR ST BENEDICT'S FEAST DAY
DATES TO REMEMBER
- 31 May - 4 June - Reconciliation Week.
- Wednesday 2 June - Year 11, 2022, Course Selection Mentoring Interviews (face to face).
- Thursday 3 June - MABO Day.
- Friday 4 June - St Benedict's Feast Day celebrations - Cafe will be closed for this day.
- Friday 4 June - LIVE at Bennies - 2:30 - 6:00pm.
- Wednesday 9 June - MISA Debating Years 7-9 (Away).
- Wednesday 9 June - Year 10 MACE P1 & P2.
- Thursday 10 June - Year 9 WSU Fast Forward Event
- Thursday 10 June - Year 11 MACE P1, P2, Recess and then till P5
- Friday 11 June - Staff Development Day.
- Monday 14 June - Queen's Birthday Public Holiday.
- Friday 18 June - Bennies Bring a Blanket, 3-8 pm at the College.
LIVE FRIDAY 4 JUNE 2:30 - 6:00pm
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
COMPASS
As you will be aware, the College has rolled our systems over to TechOne. This will streamline some of the finance systems in place at the College.
It will also impact on permission slips and notes coming home. Although at times we may still send home paper permission slips, the majority of the time, families will receive information and give permission for student attendance at events, activities, and excursions via the Compass app. This should alleviate some of the paperwork that families have and multiple copies of letters to sign for your children.
This system is new to the College, and as it is rolled out to families, we hope to make a smooth transition that will provide greater efficiency for both families and College staff. If you have any questions around this, please contact the College.
National Careers Week
Students last week were completing work around our TAPS/careers program. This provides our students with an insight into their own skill sets and possible future career pathways. Thank you to Mr Mustapic and the STRIVE Coaches for the preparation, organisation, and delivery of this program.
Lockdown and Evacuation Practise
Last week we had a Lockdown and Evacuation practice. This is important as it reminds all in our community about the process and procedures if either of these situations were to arise. I am pleased to report that both were a success.
Year 11 Geography Excursions
This Tuesday saw our Year 11 Geography class out on their field trip experience in Cabramatta. Field trips are mandatory for the Geography course, and they help to consolidate students' understanding of content knowledge and skills.
Year 11 Subject Selection
Our Year 10 students are currently going through their subject selection process. This is an important process as it allows students to select subjects in Years 11 and 12 that will help set them up for success. Good luck to all of our Year 10s as they start to look at their pathways.
College Captains - Secondary Schools Leadership Program 2021- Parliament of NSW and Government House
This week saw our College Captains attend the Secondary Schools Leadership Program 2021- Parliament of NSW and Government House. This is a great program for our Captains and helps them to develop their understanding and skills in leadership.
Vaping
A reminder to all families about the health impact that vaping can have on young people. Over the last few Newsletters, I have communicated important information around this issue, and I encourage you to have conversations with your children about this.
Mr David Costin
Assistant Principal
FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MISSION AND VISION
On Sunday 23 May, the Church celebrated Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit and also known as the BIRTH day of the Church. A song that I am always drawn to at Pentecost is Receive the Power performed by Guy Sebastian and Paulini. It was the theme song for World Youth Day in 2008.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Fill us with the fire of your love.
Amaze us.
Astound us.
Occupy our hearts.
Drive out anything that is not of You.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Renew the face of the earth,
This tired and hurting earth.
Teach us to cherish it, care for it,
Recognize your breath in it.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Fill us with the fire of your love.
Open our eyes to see as you see, our hearts to love as you love.
Teach us to listen, dialogue, and understand.
Breathe in us words that console and bring hope
and actions that bring justice and renewal
to the poor, outcast, young, old, and infirm.
Teach us how to live in unity, as one family, with one accord,
Empowered by the winds of your abundant love.
Come, Holy Spirit,
We are ready
To let go of the status quo.
We give you permission to
Disturb us
with the fire of your love.
One of the most powerful ways of envisioning the Spirit's role is as the one through whom Jesus breathes his own life into us; that is, through the Holy Spirit we share the very life and motivation of Jesus. The Holy Spirit animates each individual and the church as a whole: we need only to open ourselves to all the possibilities. Sometimes both we and the church resist the Holy Spirit, either because we prefer things to remain as they are, or we are afraid to risk change. Think what would have NOT happened if Jesus' followers had not cooperated with the Holy Spirit! Where would the church and the world be today?
The church is in difficult times today, just as it was in the early days, and has been at many other times throughout the centuries. But we have the assurance that the Holy Spirit stays with the church and will open up fresh ways of seeing and doing things that we could never dream of. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and giver of life, always renewing and refreshing those who open themselves to his influence.
National Sorry Day - 26 May 2021
Sorry Day has been observed since 1998, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was presented in the Australian Federal Parliament. This report detailed the impact of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. Sorry Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the hardship faced when children were taken into institutional and foster care by governments and church agencies and placed with non-Indigenous families. These Stolen Generations suffered greatly from being removed from their loved ones at such an early age, and for many the scars were life-long. However, Sorry Day is also an opportunity to “acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation.”
Artwork: Our Home (2019) by Patrice Muthaymiles-Mahoney OAM (1975 – )
YEAR 12 STUDIES OF RELIGION II
I wanted to share with you in this newsletter the sensational work and research undertaken by Year 12 Studies of Religion (2 unit) students on the understandings of peace within Christianity, drawing on the key teachings of peace, love, forgiveness, and relationships. Here are some snippets from their video presentations. Very insightful and informative.
I think it’s really interesting - we can try and break down the Christian peace teachings into nice little bullet points, but realistically, they all connect, and I think that’s evident here. The Sydney Statement is a response to the call for fraternity, but it’s also a modern example of the underlying themes of the Good Samaritan. Aside from being an easy parable to teach people to be nice to others, once you understand the tensions between Samaritans and Jews at the time of Jesus’ teachings, you realise how Jesus is really calling for his followers to put aside their differences and embrace each other, which is literally what Pope Francis is calling for and the point of the Sydney Statement.
Nick C and Emily A
What exactly is the Christian understanding of peace? And what does it look like today, in modern society?
This episodes investigation is driven by a quote from the Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen:
“As for peacemaking, Jesus makes it a central part of Christian discipleship… it is a peace based on truth, justice, and love.”
Now, come join us as we explore CHRISTIAN PEACE, and what it exactly means for adherents, us, and potentially you in this modern world.
A state of tranquillity; freedom of disturbance. That is the universal definition of Peace. In our modern context, some may only see this as relevant to war, political unrest, or environmental turmoil, where the external world is in an obvious state of trauma. However, this is not necessarily the case as Peace can address so much more than the physical.
For Christians, the word stems from Christ himself - Jesus - as the model of peace for adherents, guiding them in the way they act, think, talk and live.
‘The Peace of God which is beyond all understanding will guard your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus” - Philippians 4:7.
Lucrecia C, Alec C and Emily H
BIG SCIENCE COMPETITION
This week all students from Year 7 to 10 participated in the Big Science Competition which is run by Australian Science Innovations. The Competition is a 50 minute, multiple-choice quiz testing science knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts, making them relatable.
Normally, we run the competition as an opt-in activity, but this year the Competition was 100% online and 100% free. Therefore, all students were provided with the opportunity to compete.
Students will receive a certificate indicating their performance. They also have the chance to win some great prizes, including a Segway Scooter, a Nintendo Switch, an Apple iPad, Kaiser Action Camera, book packs, and gift vouchers.
Hopefully, all students tried their best and we look forward to receiving the results in the not-too-distant future.
Ms de Lima
Science Coordinator
YEAR 8 SCIENCE
This term in Year 8 Science, students have been learning about matter. They have learnt that everyday materials made of matter can be broken down to an atomic level, in which each individual element can be identified by its unique properties, and uses. This also included exploring other cultures around the world, here in Australia, and how they utilise everyday compounds/ materials.
Miss Catie Oldfield, St Benedicts Aboriginal Education Assistant, popped by to help Year 8 with this part of their course. Miss Oldfield explained how Aboriginals use and make ochre from the rocks present in the environment around them. Students learnt that ochre is a natural clay earth pigment, which is a mixture of iron oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from white, yellow to deep orange or brown. The ochre has many uses, from painting stories to traditional ceremonies and even for medicinal purposes.
Year 8 found this a very engaging lesson and enjoyed painting their hands, faces, and rocks.
Ms Heather Brown
Science
Year 11 Geography Field Trip to Cabramatta
On Wednesday the 25 May, as a part of our Senior Geography Course in Year 11, we were given the opportunity to visit Cabramatta and conduct fieldwork.
In the first section of the day, we visited Fairfield City Library, where we were spoken to by a heritage worker named Gialy. She was able to provide us with accurate and informative facts and statistics on the Fairfield City area, as well as specific data on Cabramatta. This was highly informative and related very well to our topic of Global Challenges (Population Geography and Cultural Integration). By doing so, we were able to develop a higher understanding of the history and culture of the area.
Following this, we headed to the ‘Freedom Plaza’ within the Cabramatta CBD. We were given a chance to explore the local area through a self-guided walking tour and conduct various geographical fieldwork techniques. It was amazing to see the vibrant and diverse culture within the area, as Asian and Western culture blended into a unique and lively space. The plaza was filled with local grocers, food shops, statues, and the beautiful Pai Lao archway at the entrance. We were also given the option to try some local cuisine for lunch, with many of us choosing to try some new and delicious Vietnamese foods.
We all really enjoyed the excursion as we were able to experience an area so different from our own. Thank you to Miss Joyce, Mr McAteer and Mrs Muscat for facilitating such a valuable and interesting day.
Rhiannon and Emily (Year 11 Geography students)
BENNY'S CLUBS NEWS
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Social Justice is working hard this term to raise awareness for those in our local community who are less fortunate than us. We will be running several initiatives that we would like all students to support.
Year 7 are organising a bake sale at school on Wednesday of Week 10 this term. Money raised from this sale will go towards charities in our local area that support people experiencing homelessness. These students are asking all students from Year 7 to bring in some baked goods to sell to our whole school community.
Year 8 will be holding Jersey Day on Tuesday of Week 8, encouraging students to wear a jersey of their choice of their favourite team with their school sports uniform for a gold coin donation. In addition to this, Year 8 will be holding a staff v Year 8 Soccer game on the Oval at recess on the same day.
Year 10 team members are asking students from their year group to donate various food items that can be provided to a local charity We are Community. These items include cans of food, long-life milk, pasta sauce, and noodles. Each Strive group will be allocated a food item so that we can supply the charity with as much as possible. Whilst this is a Year 10 focus, we are encouraging any student from across Year 7-12 to also donate any food items to this cause. Year 10 will collect items every Friday in the C4 Art room during Strive.
Lastly, the Social Justice team has organised our annual Bennies Bring a Blanket on Friday 18 June, 2021 (Week 9). This is an event that is held at school from 3 pm - 8 pm, where students will partake in various activities in order to gain some insight into what it may be like to be homeless. Whilst this is a voluntary, free event, all students across Year 7-12 are encouraged to join their peers in raising money and awareness through donating money on the night. To end the night, students will watch a movie, The Pursuit of Happyness (M Rating). Please look out for permission notes and notifications on Compass with more details.
The Social Action team meets every Tuesday in C4. If you would like to join the team, then please come along to the next meeting, or send Mrs Castelli an email.
Mrs Sara-Jane Castelli
Social Justice Coordinator
DEBATING
St Benedict’s Catholic College V’s St Patrick’s – Wednesday 26 May, 2021.
Our Year 7 team was thrown a curveball last night when our second speaker had to withdraw at short notice, leaving the fourth speaker to step up. They team narrowly lost the debate to St Patrick's.
Our Year 8 team was on fire. The experienced adjudicator, Peta Hillier, was impressed by their debating skills, in particular Samantha E and her ability to do rebuttals. She believes they are a team to watch.
I can see a huge improvement in both teams, particularly after our training day.
If you see the following students, please congratulate them for their efforts.
Debating Coach
KNITTING CLUB
ART CLUB
COLLEGE SPORT TERM 2 WEEK 6 MVP
MISA Term 2
Most of our boy's teams had a BYE today as our girls took on St Pats. Some strong performances and again great school spirit was demonstrated by all our teams. A special mention to our Boys Softball team who came away with a win over John Therry, and well done on the hard work on display by our Girls Soccer team, ending with a 2 all draw.
MISA Girls Indoor Cricket: Daniella
MISA Boys Softball: Cameron M
MISA Mixed Ultimate Frisbee: Aaron J & Mikaylah R
Yours in sport
Miss Lisa Paton, (Sport Coordinator)
One of the programs St Benedict’s Catholic College Library encourages each year is the Premier’s Reading Challenge - a Government initiative aimed at all students from Kindergarten to Year 9 to promote a love of reading and a challenge to read 20 books by the end of August. Currently, we have 15 students in our College community who have accepted the challenge and we wish them all the best in their endeavors. IT’S NOT TOO LATE for any student in Year 7 to Year 9 to sign up and participate in this challenge. For each participant, the Library will award prizes of encouragement as well as House points and after successful completion of the challenge, a Certificate will be issued by the office of the NSW Premier and awarded to the successful students in a College assembly.
CURRICULUM NEWS
Jobs For Youth Night
Years 10, 11 and 12
The Jobs For Youth Night event will centre around facilitating an engaging space for the youth to connect with local opportunities, potential employers, training organisations and study options.
This event will specifically focus on Trades (Construction, Plumbing, Manufacturing etc) and will provide students and their parents with the perfect opportunity to meet industry professionals and gain a better understanding of potential career pathways.
What to expect:
- COVID-safe event.
- Students must attend with a parent or guardian (because of the club venue).
- FREE event.
- Event will run 7pm-9pm, Wests Leagues Club Leumeah.
- Opportunity for students to directly hand in their resumes.
- Meet potential employers.
- See job vacancies, trainee, and apprenticeship opportunities.
- Meet industry exhibitors ranging from Colleges, GTO’s, Recruitment Agencies, Industry Associations and more!
- Brochures and resources readily available at booth stations.
- Engage in industry discussions.
Please RSVP by COB 31ST May 2021
MWLP will be running 6 Jobs For Youth Nights that will focus on different industry frameworks. We are planning to host the events between Wests Leagues Club (Leumeah) and at Bankstown Sports Club (Bankstown). If you can’t attend this upcoming Jobs For Youth Night, please consider attending one of the following nights:
- June 1st (Campbelltown) and June 22nd (Bankstown) Trades Night
- August 10th (Bankstown) and August 23rd (Campbelltown) Services and Hospitality Night
- November 8th (Campbelltown) and November 29th (Bankstown) Business Night
If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Mr Mustapic.
HELP KEEP OUR STUDENTS SAFE
ADDRESS:
Ranier Schoolwear Unit 5/6-8 Porrende Street Narellan 2567.
For online purchasing and appointments visit: shop.ranier.com.au
We offer:
- Collect from Shop
- Collect from School
- Home Delivery.
CONTACT US via email narellan@ranier.com.au
Phone: 02 4647 8942
Responses will be provided during opening hours. For more immediate assistance, Head Office details are:
Online: ranier.com.au/contact
Email: custservice@ranier.com.au
Phone: 02 8337 7290
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS FOR SHOP ENTRY
- Please do not attend the shop if you are unwell
- Limited people permitted in the shop at any time
MY FIT REWARDS - ATHLETE'S FOOT STORES
Reminders
- Keep Covid safe: If your child is sick, keep them home. See below for Covid updates.
- Please do not use Disabled Parking Spaces without a Disability Sticker.
- Tuesday afternoon is Sports Day therefore, if you are collecting your child early they must have a note to remain at school.
ABSENCES
We ask Parents/Carers to only report all day absences via COMPASS, part day absences should be reported to the office via phone on 4631 5300 or email to info@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au
If a student is having an absence of 3 days or more, a request should be sent to the Principal via email to info@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au
If a student is having an absence of 10 days or more an Application for Extended Leave should be completed and submitted to the office with a copy of the students itinerary, if the absence is within Australia or a copy of flight tickets if the extended leave is to be outside Australia. A copy of the Application for Extended Leave can be found here .
FIRST AID NOTICE
Given the presence of COVID-19 coupled with the commencement of the influenza (flu) season, our school has an important responsibility to provide a safe environment for students and staff. Your child should not attend school if they are showing any flu like symptoms.
If a student is sent to the office with flu like symptoms we will place them in isolation and call their parents to organise for them to be collected as soon as possible.
Your support in keeping our school healthy and safe is appreciated.
LOST & FOUND
We have a number of unmarked clothing items, jewellery, reading glasses and containers which would like to be returned to their owners. Please ask your child/ren to come to the office if they may have lost one of these items.
We ask parents to check that all their child/rens items are marked clearly with their name in permanent marker.
Any items not collected will be given to the P & F Clothing Pool at the end of Term 3.
P & F CLOTHING POOL
Please contact the P&F via pandf@sbccdow.catholic.edu.au with a list of your requirements and a contact telephone number and Tracey will contact you with availability.
CatholicCare now offers the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) in the Macarthur region, helping seniors to access entry-level support services to live independently and safely at home.
If your grandparents, parent(s) or anyone you know requires aged care assistance at home, please ask them to call 4628 0044 and ask for Melissa or Colleen.