College Newsletter
Term 3 Week 10 - Friday 27 September 2019
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents, Staff and Students
As we finish classes for Term 3 2019 it is important to reflect on student achievements during the term.
Our Year 12 class formally graduated from the College this week with students celebrating the end of their school education with a Mass at Our Lady of Victories at Horsley Park on Tuesday and a Graduation Liturgy and Presentation Evening on Thursday. At each of these ceremonies, students and their parents had opportunities to reflect on personal growth over the past six years.
Special thanks must be given to Ms M Schinella, Ms S Ackaoui, the RE team and Music team for their preparation of the Liturgy.
Thanks too must go to Ms S Rimac, Ms L Hayes, Mrs Hanna and the Year 12 team for their efforts in the preparation for and organisation of these memorable Graduation Events.
Year 12 students now have three weeks in which to finalise their study preparations for their HSC examinations.
Students in Year 11 are currently completing their final Preliminary examinations and over the next three weeks will finalise Work placements for VET Business Studies, Entertainment and Hospitality - Food and Beverage courses while other Year 11 students will participate in Australian Business Week activities.
Year 8 and 10 students have finalised their subject selections over recent weeks, as well as completing their Preliminary course assessment requirements.
Year 7 and 9 students have received their NAPLAN results for 2019. Students should have bought home a copy of these results for parents.
Students have been involved in PDSSSC Dance Competitions, PDSSSC Athletics and Futsal competitions as well as the Bring It On Dance Competition. Two Year 11 students, Sarah Vella and Rose Hanratty also placed second in the National Schools Aerobics Competition.
Cerdon College students have also showcased their skills at the State Finals of the Science and Engineering Challenge and UNSW Solar Car Challenge.
Students return to class on
MONDAY 14 OCTOBER
All students should return in full Summer Uniform.
I take this opportunity to thank all parents for their support of their daughter's learning over the past ten weeks.
As a community our prayer is taken from the Gospel of St Paul --
A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Col 3:12-17)
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.
Amen
God Bless
Mrs Patricia Baker
Principal
In Sympathy
Please keep these members of our community in your thoughts and prayers -
Mrs Ben Bhindi's on the recent passing of her mother and father and Mrs O'Brien on the recent passing of her father.
May they rest in peace.
Amen
Next Parents and Friends Meeting
Monday 28 October @ 7:00 pm
All welcome
Save the Date - Cerdon College 60th Anniversary in 2020
Please save the date!
Further details soon.
Bishop's Award Congratulations
Congratulations to Angelina Elias who won The Bishop of Parramatta Award for Student
Excellence. The ceremony was held on Thursday, 5 September 2019 at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta. This is a very significant award honouring students who give of themselves in many facets of life, especially in the area of social Justice.
We congratulate Angelina on this prestigious award.
We also thank Gabriella Logiotatos for reading the citation for Angelina on the night. Sophia
Siderides, Bianca Simonetta, Charlie Rose El Riachi and Sarah Denniss also gave of their
time to act as special assistants on the night. All ladies did a wonderful job.
Year 12
Congratulations to Year 12 on their graduation from Cerdon College this week. Over the past week, we have had many beautiful ceremonies celebrating their talents and achievements. The girls were farewelled by the College at Mass, we gave thanks and blessed our students, a fitting way for them to finish their time at school.
This is also the time when a gentle word of thanks goes a long way. A thank you to all of the people who have watched them grow into such amazing young women. The office staff, the counsellor, the canteen ladies, the grounds and maintenance staff and all of the teaching staff, not only the teachers they have had for Year 12. Together all of these people, in partnership with parents have bought these young women to where they are today.
We wish Year 12 every success as they traverse the world beyond Cerdon, and keep them and their parents in our prayers, as they prepare for their HSC.
Suzana Rimac
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all people.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble,
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Be yourself:
nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune,
but do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
You have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive God to be.
And whatever your labours and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
Strive to be happy.
By Max Ehrmann
Active Volunteering - Nursing Home Experience
Active Volunteering is a Certificate 2 course in which students learn about the benefits of
volunteering. They use their time and effort to assist in a variety of ways in order to make a
difference in our community. As a class of nine Yr 11 students from Cerdon College we have
participated in many different jobs including preparing staff morning teas, cleaning in the library and attending local schools, St Margaret Mary’s Primary and Holroyd School. We have also been very privileged to visit the Cardinal Gilroy Village in Merrylands.
This has been a great opportunity and we thank the staff and residents for welcoming us into
their home, enabling us to spend quality time with the many wonderful people we have met.
We have loved being able to chat to people from both the Opal and Diamond rooms including the wonderful Golden Girls who have a positive, bright and beautiful presence. Speaking to each and everyone of the residents has been an honour and as young students we have been able to learn from them and we admire the kindness and happiness they have shown us.
Maria Sayhoun
“Talking to Bessie, made me smile.” -Caitlyn
“Going into the Diamond Room made me realise how easy our lives are and how the little things
in life can make a big difference” - Rita
“Leslie was very lovely to talk to and she has an amazing sense of humour.” - Micheline and
Vanessa
“I found it quite emotional at first but now I’ve experienced meeting so many beautiful people
and I love seeing them smile” -Pia
“When I walked in I was very emotional, but I now realise they were just like us and one day
we'll be old too” -Janelle
ADVICE FROM THE ELDERLY
Advice from Norma, ‘Follow your heart, if your heart is somewhere else then go there and make a change to the world.’
“It isn’t easy when you get married, you have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture”
“Make the most of the time that you have with the ones that you love, because you all won’t be at the same place at the same time again.”
Marist Oratory
On Wednesday 28th August, 6 students from Cerdon College participated in the Marist Oratory Competition at Marist College North Shore. This event brings together students from Marist schools across Sydney to participate in a Public Speaking competition. The students participating in the event were Daniella Maugeri (Year 7), Siena Mia Agius (Year 8), Daniella Elakcnouch (Year 12), Ariona Haxhijaj (Year 10), Sarah Denniss (Year 10) and Shannel Rajeswaran (Year 9) (from left to right in the photo). Each of the girls spoke beautifully, and Siena Mia from Year 8 took home the winning spot in her Year 8 event!! Well done to all the speakers!
Ms Gerardis
Public Speaking Co-ordinator
Year 10 History Incursion
On the 20th of September, Year 10 were given the opportunity to explore migration experiences through their history incursion. Our grade has been studying migration and diversity in Australia and this incursion was a chance to extend our knowledge and understanding of its causes and effects.
We listened to guest speakers who shared their migration stories. The guests came from a range of countries, including Greece, Malta, India, Sudan, Vietnam and Syria. Listening to varied first-hand accounts was an emotional and insightful experience that left us with a better understanding of our topic. We later watched an Italian and Vietnamese cultural food demonstration and spent our lunchtime eating cultural dishes that students brought to share. After lunch, we personally reflected on what we had learnt throughout the day, ending with both an African and Greek dance performance by our students. Lastly, we participated in a ‘zorba’ competition, where each class battled it out to find the champion.
Our grade enjoyed our incursion because not only was it enlightening and informative, but it gave us the opportunity to celebrate the range of cultures in our community, particularly through food, dance and stories. We thank the Year 10 History teachers for their organisation along with the guest speakers who dedicated their time to sharing their stories.
May we continue to celebrate multiculturalism in the Cerdon community!
Sophia Siderides
Year 10
Studies of Religion - Judaism Marriage
For our Judaism topic in Studies of Religion, we had a guest presenter, Rabbi Lewin, who spoke to us about the significant practice of marriage. The talk featured an engaging PowerPoint presentation, visually demonstrating each element of the marriage ceremony in detail such as the marriage contract (Ketubah). After the PowerPoint, a number of volunteers had the opportunity to participate in an informative re-enactment of a Jewish marriage. Overall, this incursion highly enriched our learning in Studies of Religion as we had the opportunity to listen to a Rabbi, who has had first-hand experience in Jewish marriage.
West Side Story Music Excursion
On Wednesday the 28th August, 76 elective music students from Years 9-12 as well as 6 music teachers went to The Sydney Opera House to watch West Side Story. The musical is based on the book by Arthur Laurents and follows a similar and more modern story line to William Shakespeare's ‘Romeo and Juliet’. After the long bus drive, students and teachers had lunch in the Botanical Gardens with some teachers meeting Neil Finn!
The musical began at 1pm and kept everyone captivated right up until the curtain call. The musical inspired all students from the styles of dance and song. It opened our minds to different times in history with the different cultures and beliefs. It was overall, an amazing experience whether interested in music or not!
Speaking on behalf of all of the music students, I would like to thank all of the music teachers for preparing and allowing us all to watch the fantastic musical.
Sarah Denniss
Year 10
Dress Up Day 2019
Congratulations to the winners of our Dress Up Day this year. Money raised went to Balay Banaag, Marist Sisters project in the Philippines. The word was JARNOSSE.
Year 12 – J
Elise Noble (Michael Jackson)
Taylor Daoud, Jayde Saba and Christine Ellias (Jelly Fish)
Year 11 – A
Antoinette Azzi (Annabelle)
Year 10 – R
Cartia Roccisano, Cecilia Bolognesi, Alyssa Dang and Kasey Lao (Retro Group)
Year 9 – N
Florencia Gimenez (Nancy from Gotham)
Year 8 – O
Natalie Noujaim (Old Lady)
Year 7 – S
Jade Niddrie-King (Smurf)
Staff—E
Miss Hanson (Snow White)
Mrs Drageljevic and Miss Parker (Eighties)
Extension Science Expo 2019
On Friday 6th September, Cerdon hosted an Expo evening, giving some of the Extension Science students in the diocese the opportunity to present their in-depth research projects.
Guests included representatives from Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP), the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), academics from supporting universities, staff, parents and students from a number of CEDP schools. The evening celebrated the exciting achievements of some of our brightest minds and assured everyone that the future is in good hands.
Congratulations to Dominique Espinosa for representing Cerdon so eloquently with a presentation titled Comparison of Azole Resistant Aspergillus spp. in Australia and Overseas. This research stemmed from the concern that Aspergillosis has a 30% -95% mortality rate and yet there are only two clinical antifungals available to treat the condition. This inaugural event was a great way to inspire more students to challenge themselves and pursue Extension Science in years to come.
Enrichment@Cerdon
Extension Science Expo 2019
On Friday 6th September, Cerdon hosted an Expo evening, giving some of the Extension Science students in the diocese the opportunity to present their in-depth research projects.
Guests included representatives from the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP), the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), academics from supporting universities, staff, parents and students from a number of CEDP of schools. The evening celebrated the exciting achievements of some of our brightest minds and assured everyone that the future is in good hands.
Congratulations to Dominique Espinosa for representing Cerdon so eloquently with a presentation titled Comparison of Azole Resistant Aspergillus spp. in Australia and Overseas. This research stemmed from the concern that Aspergillosis has a 30% -95% mortality rate and yet there are only two clinical antifungals available to treat the condition. This inaugural event was a great way to inspire more students to challenge themselves and pursue Extension Science in years to come.
UNSW Sunsprint Challenge
The windy conditions did not deter hundreds of students descending on the Village Green at the UNSW to participate in the annual Sunsprint Challenge. Teams of students were involved in building a car or a boat which was raced on the day, powered only by solar power. Over the last six weeks, twenty Cerdon students from Years 7-11 participated in the challenge and all worked hard on their projects. Most teams managed to get through the first three rounds while one team just missed out on placing in the finals.
Overall it was a great day and a wonderful experience for the girls particularly at a time when STEM challenges are integral in providing students with valuable future skills.
Congratulations to all the students involved and all the teachers who gave up many lunch and after school sessions to mentor the girls.
Aurecon Bridge Building Competition 2019
On Tuesday 17th of September a team of Year 9 students represented the school in the annual Aurecon Bridge Building Competition.This event engages students to research, design and construct a model bridge using basic materials. Bridges are tested for strength, strength to weight ratio and creative design. Although the girls did not have the strongest bridge, they were able to build one of the lightest bridges in the competition and were commended for their efforts.
Congratulations to Chloe Adams, Chantelle Or, Michelle Hoang and Micah Sunga for their efforts in the competition and to Mr Tham for mentoring the students throughout the program.
Enrichment Co-ordinator
Sr Ann Marie Learning Centre - Library News
The Great Book Swap
On Thursday, 12 September 2019, The Great Book Swap event was held for the first time at Cerdon to help raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Students, staff, parents and grandparents generously donated pre-loved books in the weeks leading up to the event. On the day, students and staff were invited to the school hall at lunch time to browse a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books sorted into various genres. For each book selected, a gold coin donation was made. The event raised more than $500 for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and students were able to take home books to add to their home collections.
During the first half hour of the event, there was a buzz of activity and excitement as students and teachers searched for books of interest, shared their 'finds' and even amicably swapped books if they knew someone really wanted the book they had in their hands. It was a lot of fun and an event that we hope to support again next year. Thank you to everyone who contributed books to the event and made gold coin donations for books on the day.
Special thanks to the Library Monitors and the library staff for organising and running the event; and thank you to the Active Volunteers for their assistance in setting up the Hall.
Mrs Sylaprany
Teacher Librarian
Mrs Schinella
Religious Education Coordinator
2019 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge
This year thirty-seven students in Years 7-9 have completed the 2019 NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. Congratulations to all students who completed the Challenge and fulfilled their reading goals. Special mention to Year 8 for an outstanding effort with 27 students completing the Challenge this year! Congratulations to:
Year 7
Verena Geries
Sophie Hatter
Vinka Jurisic
Mariella Melhem
Sarah Oldridge
Year 8
Siena Mia Agius
Neola Asante
Diya Badawi
Deepana Baskaran
Reese Blandon
Joycelyn Boadu
Ashlee Dib
Lara El Bacha
Zoe Fitzpatrick
Hannah Galeb
Thalia Hands
Grace Hunt
Mithra Jayadevan
Reema Kamala
Anjie Kerdi
Lilli Eve Loncar
Erica Mekdessi
Brooke Mifsud
Sienna Morvillo
Christina Nasr
Joanna Nohra
Honya Rezaie
Samira Salem
Rebecca Sarkis
Lillian Serafin
Chiara Simonetta
Lauren Sultana
Year 9
Tatiana Elias
Joyce Eweda
Gabrielle Nasr
Annalise Reynolds-Pace
Nadia Souccar
Book Club
The Sr Ann Marie Learning Centre has a Book Club for students and teachers which has been running for a few years. The club has read a wide variety of fiction, non-fiction and graphic novels. You can read about and browse past book club meetings here. For our next meeting, the club is reading books from the genre of steampunk. Books such as Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights and Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan are examples of books in the genre of steampunk. All students are welcome to join Book Club. The club usually meets about 2-3 times per term.
Access to ebooks and audiobooks through OverDrive
As part of the Australian Catholic Education Network (ACEN), students in the Parramatta Diocese have free access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks through the OverDrive platform. Access to digital books can be particularly convenient when travelling or away on holidays. Internet access is not required once an ebook or audiobook has been downloaded to a mobile device. The Sora (OverDrive) app provides a simple way to access ebooks and audiobooks (when using this App remember to choose ‘ACEN’ as your library). Listening to an audiobook is a great way to experience a story and can support students in developing their reading and literacy skills (especially when combined with reading along with a print version of the book). To discover other digital resources available to students visit eLibary (library catalogue) and click on the links to resources located under ‘CEDP Resources’ and ‘Local School Resources’.
Mrs Sylaprany
Teacher Librarian
Uniform Shop
Please make an appointment for the Uniform Shop via the College Website.
Thank you
Uniform Shop Management
Telephone: 8724 7329 (during operating hours only)
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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