15 October 2021 -
From the Principal

From the Principal

Welcome back to Term 4. I hope all students and families enjoyed a very restful school holidays that enabled a break from computer screens and gave you time to relax together, perhaps through a small picnic or bike ride.

Following the recent appointment of our new Premier, Mr Dominic Perrottet, there have been some changes in the education sector, one being the announcement of an earlier return to school than previously communicated. The ‘MSCW Return to School Plan’ for this has been outlined in a separate letter to all parents.

It was good to connect recently with parents in each Year Group via Zoom, to discuss aspects of our ‘MSCW Return to School Plan’. I look forward to continuing these Zoom catch-up sessions as we navigate the stages in our transfer from remote to face-to-face learning.

Year 12

Our Year 12 students are especially focused on their HSC at present, participating in their ‘Study Bubble’ groups and workshops here at the College. We wish them well and keep them very much in our prayers as they work towards their 9 November HSC Examinations start date. A big “thank you” to our dedicated staff for preparing the workshops and marking extra essays and practise work completed by the students, as well as for their constant support of the girls.

Shade Cover

During the holidays, extra shade cover was erected on Futuna Terrace. This will certainly provide extra shade, sun and rain cover. This upgrade continues our planning to ensure our facilities support the learning and wellbeing needs of our students.

Dr Anne Ireland, Principal
 
This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #1, #2, #8 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Assistant Principal

From the Assistant Principal

I would like to welcome back students to their final term of learning for 2021. During Term 4, I encourage all students to continue to take advantage of opportunities to explore their learning in areas of particular interest to them.

This term marks the commencement of the HSC Examinations for our Year 12 students. It also marks the commencement of the HSC courses for the Class of 2022.

These are important points in the education of these students and I wish both groups well in their endeavors. As our Year 11 students begin to engage in the final four terms of their learning at the College, I encourage them to plan their study time and take a strategic approach to assessment preparation. 

As the College is accommodating the HSC demands mandated by NESA, I thank the students of Years 7-11, who will continue to actively and effectively engage in both their remote learning and face-to-face learning, when they return to campus as the term progresses. The staff at the College will continue to upload their lesson plans and content to COMPASS and Google Classrooms during this time. It is important that students continue to engage with these learning platforms.

As articulated in the letter sent to parents by Dr Ireland earlier this week about the MSCW Term 4 Return to School Plan, a few key reminders are below.

Attendance 

  • All students are expected to return to face-to-face learning from the return date listed in the MSCW Term 4 Return to School Plan. If your child is unwell or suffering any symptoms, they should remain at home until they return a negative COVID-19 test. It should also be noted that, for operational reasons, your child may not have their regular classroom teacher during this back to school transition period in Term 4. 

Arrival and departure 

  • To facilitate a safe arrival and departure from the College, all students will enter and exit the College via the bottom gate. Students travelling to and from school via public transport are required to wear a mask, as per the NSW Health regulations. 

Canteen

  • Until further notice, the Canteen will be available for lunch orders only. All orders must be placed via the Flexischool portal.

Activities 

  • The return to school will have a number of very specific restrictions on activity on the College site. This includes a prohibition on any assemblies, large group gatherings, performances or presentations on site. Excursions, camps and field trips have also been cancelled at this stage. 
  • Choir, bands and ensembles are currently on hold and any community events we had planned will also be cancelled. While this is disappointing, it will limit the risk of exposure for our students and maximise our classroom learning time after a term learning from home. 

Masks, hand sanitiser and social distancing

  • When we return, all staff will be wearing masks while on the College site and all students will be required to wear them indoors. It is recommended that students also wear them outdoors.
  • All staff and students will be asked to regularly use the hand sanitiser available and abide by social distancing requirements.
  • The College will continue to be cleaned each day.
  • Masks are to be worn on public transport to and from the College.

Parents and non-essential workers

  • At the moment, parents/carers and other non-essential visitors are not allowed on the school site. 

Vaccinations

  • As the government rolls out available vaccines for students (currently available to students aged 12 and above), these arrangements also provide you the opportunity to discuss vaccination for your daughter as a family and access the vaccination as it becomes available.
  • Year 7 Vaccination Program, Term 4 2021

Study skills tip for October – Asking for help

Powerful learners have a number of things in common and one of the most important ones is that they seek help when they need it. If you are struggling in any aspect of your life, the best thing you can do is to reach out and ask for assistance.

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing or pretend the issue doesn’t exist. For example, if there have been aspects of your learning this year that you have found difficult, or have fallen behind in, this last term of school before the end of the year is the perfect time to reach out for help. 

Ms Melinda Alvarez, Assistant Principal

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #2, #6 & #8

 

From the Religious Education Coordinator

From the Religious Education Coordinator

October, the Month of the Rosary

The month of October has traditionally been dedicated as the month of the Rosary. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer and could be referred to as a ‘living’ prayer form.

Why? Because it continues to develop over time.

The use of knotted rope to count prayers is an ancient practice and is even found in non-Christian religions. The Christian recitation of 150 prayers mirrored the monastic prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, in which monks prayed all 150 psalms each day. The structure of the Rosary as we know it today developed significantly from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The Fatima Prayer was added in the early 20th century and, in 2002, Pope John Paull II added the Luminous Mysteries, which is a set of five reflections on the life of Jesus.

For the remainder of October, you are invited to pray the Rosary and be open to the graces of God in our world.

Miss Mary Kleist, Religious Education Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #1, #2

From the Leader of Learning and Curriculum

From the Leader of Learning and Curriculum

I would like to welcome students back to Term 4, albeit remotely. As we enter into the final term for the 2021 academic year, I commend students on their resilience, as well as their unwavering commitment to their own learning. 

As we begin the staggered start back to school, I offer thanks to the students in Years 7-11 who have actively and effectively participated in their remote learning lessons over the course of the lockdown period. The staff at the College have, and will continue to, upload lesson plans to COMPASS and lesson content in Google Classrooms during this time. Students should be engaging in these learning platforms at all times.

With the HSC Examinations being pushed further back into the term, Year 12 students have been engaging in remote workshops, where they are honing their subject specific skills and examination techniques. We also begin the term with our Year 11 students starting their HSC courses, where they are strongly encouraged to plan their time effectively and participate in the various learning opportunities that are on offer to them. 

We look forward to welcoming staff and students back to the College campus over the next couple of weeks.

Mrs Giulia Laurenzi, Leader of Learning and Curriculum (Acting)

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #6 & #8 

From the College Counsellors

Hello and welcome back to Term 4! We hope you all had a good break and are ready for the last term of the year.

We are so close to returning to school and normality. We were thinking about the lockdown period and what strengths we developed and what strengths we saw in students, teachers and parents during these challenging times. We encourage you all to spend some time reflecting on strengths that you have developed or strengths that you have built on. No doubt, these strengths will be vital for developing resilience and hope for the remainder of the school year.

Think about:

Have there been any routines or new activities that you started during lockdown that you would like to continue? For some people, that might be walking, picnicking or cycling.

How have these activities enriched your life during lockdown? Do you see yourself continuing those activities now that we are out of lockdown? During the lockdown period, one of us rekindled our love for cooking and experimenting with new recipes. This has now been implemented as a self-care strategy and hopefully this creativity will continue to be fed.

Lastly, what were the things that you were grateful about during lockdown? We know there have been lots of negatives and lots of missed opportunities, however, we think it’s important to reflect on the positives, such as being safe at home, being able to have more of a sleep in or being able to prioritise self-care and downtime.

If you would like to discuss the above or have any concerns about your daughter, please feel free to contact the College Counsellors:

Ms Louise Scuderi and Ms Monica Rogenmoser, College Counsellors

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #6 & #8

 

Visual Arts News

Visual Arts Competition Winners

I am delighted to announce that we now know the winners of the Kelly’s Bush Art Competition.

Congratulations to the three prize winners:

  • Riley Caceres
  • Joanna El-Koura
  • Jane Linetsky

The students will attend an event onsite at Weil Park on Sunday, 31 October with their artworks, where they will receive their prize vouchers. 

A representative of The Hunters Hill Trust, who sponsored the competition, will be presenting the certificates and prizes to our students. We are hoping that the TWT will be there to record the event, which is also being videoed. 

The celebration commences at 10:00 am and we expect that the prizes will be presented around 10:15 am.

Riley, Joanna and Jane will also be invited to represent the College by planting a tree in a pre-prepared hole by the Memorial Bench.

Thank you for your lovely entries and congratulations again to the prize winners!

Mrs Helen Landas, Creative Arts Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #2 & #6

 
 

Vinnies Christmas Appeal 2021

MSCW is supporting Vinnies in their upcoming Christmas Appeal. 

You are invited to donate to help Vinnies ease the pressure for families through practical support, such as providing financial help, housing support and food assistance. Please click on this link if you would like more details or would like to donate. 

Your support can transform the lives of struggling Australian families. 

Ms Jenny Vu, Youth Ministry Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #1, #2, #8 

 

Clothing Pool News

The Marist Sisters’ College Clothing Pool is seeking your unwanted school uniforms.

Now is a great time to clean out the wardrobe and unburden yourself of school uniforms that you no longer need.

It is also a great way to support your College community.  All proceeds from the sale of Clothing Pool donations go back into projects across the College, which benefit the whole College community.

Donations can be handed into the General Administration Office any time during school hours.

Should you wish to place an order with the Clothing Pool, please visit: www.flexischools.com.au

Thank you for your support.