From the Principal

Enrolment interviews

Over the past week, the College Leadership Team have been conducting enrolment interviews for our 2026 cohort. These current Year 5 students are just delightful to meet, arriving with feelings which exhibit both eagerness and nervousness, but clearly excited about commencing high school at MSCW. These interviews are significant in our engagement with prospective families and building relationships right from the start. Places are filling fast so if you are aware of any families who are wanting enrolment for their daughter in 2026, would you please ask them to make contact with the College.

Debating 

Our Debating Competition is well underway. It was great to see so many of our girls competing last Friday night. These activities are some of the most worthwhile co-curricular experiences I could recommend. Not only an interesting social event with participants from a range of Sydney schools, they build student confidence and excellent skills which flow into the girls’ academic pursuits and future careers. Good luck to all teams competing tonight.

The Humpty Dumpty Balmoral Burn 

The Balmoral Burn has arrived. This Sunday a number of students and staff will take up the challenge to run up Awaba Street, Balmoral – Sydney’s steepest hill and raise funds for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

Thanks to all who will compete. If you haven’t already there is still time to support the girls through our Fundraising page. Please click on the LINK 

It is a fun day for the family to get involved in a great community event. Thanks for all your support and encouragement so far and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday 26 May for the Balmoral Burn!

From the Assistant Principal

From Monday, 20 May to Friday, 14 June, we invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Marist Sisters’ College.

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below:

http://tellthemfromme.com/mscw24

COMPASS Student Card

It is a College expectation that all students have their COMPASS student ID card with them everyday. The card is used in particular for students to tap in and out of the College for late arrival or early departure. I ask for the support of parents in ensuring that your daughter/s have this with them everyday.  If students have misplaced or lost their student ID card it is a requirement that the card is replaced. Please see below for how to order a new card online.

2024 Term 2 Upcoming College Events 

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

From the Religious Education Coordinator

In our Church ……

Pentecost  

Pentecost is a Christian holiday, observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter, that celebrates the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-31). The day of Pentecost is known in the Christian Church as the day on which the Spirit descended upon the apostles. Guided by Peter’s preaching, many thousands were converted in Jerusalem.

Why do Christians celebrate Pentecost?

https://www.christianity.com/jesus/early-church-history/pentecost/where-did-pentecost-come-from.html

The description states that, after Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus’ followers were gathered together for the Feast of Harvest (aka Pentecost), and the Holy Spirit “filled the whole house where they were sitting”. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them”. This unusual event drew a large crowd, and Peter stood up to speak to them about repentance and the gospel of Christ. By the end of the day that the Holy Spirit came, the Church grew by 3,000 people. This is why Christians still celebrate Pentecost.

Our Lady Help Of Christians – 24 May 

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful, beloved and essential figure in Christian life and in the Church’s calendar. She has been since the early days of the Church. Her feasts are as varied as the cultures of the world, with each having special traditions and customs. For example, the Church honours Mary every Saturday, recalling both the one full day that Jesus spent in the tomb and the traditional belief that Mary was the disciple who best kept the faith on that day.

The Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, which is celebrated on May 24, dates back to the sixteenth century, which was not a peaceful time in Europe. In 1571, Catholics throughout the continent joined in praying the rosary in hopes of prevailing over military forces that had long sought to expand into Europe. These prayers were answered at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, which is now the feast for Our Lady of the Rosary.

Mary Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia and of the Military Ordinariate

Almighty God, deepen in our hearts

our love of Mary Help of Christians.

Through her prayers and under her protection,

may the light of Christ shine over our land.

May Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.

Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens.

Bless especially the men and women

of the Australian Defence Force and their families.

We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.

To rejoice in Mary is to celebrate God’s greatest creation – the vessel he fashioned to be his own mother, the woman who would bear him into the world. In the life of the “handmaid of the Lord,” we learn what it means to say “yes” to life in the Lord and to discover in him the meaning of life.

With maternal love for us, Mary wants what is best for us – she wants Jesus for us, so she urges us, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Then she helps us as we lead others to know and love her Son too. Her feasts not only empower us to turn to her in prayer, but also to love Jesus and others with a greater love.

Events from Archdiocese ……

Walk With Christ 

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney invites our schools and families to join the Walk with Christ Festival and Procession, celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi. 

Event Information

Date: Sunday, 2 June 2024

Location: Martin Place, Corner of Pitt Street and Martin Place

Program: 

1:00 pm –  Music festival, featuring special guest performances

2:30 pm – Procession commences, walking to St Mary’s Cathedral followed by a liturgy which will be held at the Cathedral forecourt.

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

From the Leader of Learning

Assessment and Reporting in Stages 4 & 5

Each Semester, the College publishes an academic report to parents and carers about each student’s learning outcomes. Teachers will shortly commence the reporting process.

The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) requires all schools in NSW to report on grades and reportable outcomes as part of their ongoing commitment to improving student learning outcomes. Teachers must use their professional judgment to assess their students’ work and provide an overall grade for the reporting period. This means that a student’s grade needs to be determined using a range of evidence, not just one or two formal assessments.

So, what evidence can a teacher use to make these assessments? There are a variety of sources that a teacher can draw from, including:

Learning Activities and Classroom Observations:

Teachers observe students completing classwork, homework, and assessments, noting their progress and areas where they need additional support.

Formal Assessment Tasks:

Teachers use a range of assessment tasks, including tests, essays, and projects, to gather evidence of student learning.

Student Feedback:

Teachers listen to and consider student feedback on their learning, including their strengths and areas for improvement.

Our teachers will use their professional judgement to make an overall assessment of a student’s performance based on all the evidence available.

In our Assessment Handbooks, students will have their “Semester One Grade reported based on learning activities, practicals and formal tasks for the semester.” Students were advised of this in our O-Week sessions at the beginning of Term 1. 

Therefore grades in the upcoming reports will not be solely based on task achievement results in formal assessment tasks; rather, teachers will make a balanced and informed assessment of a student’s performance. By doing so, they can provide a comprehensive report that reflects a student’s academic progress. 

In the following Newsletter, I will explain the Grade ranges A to E with the intent that the grade reported for your daughter this semester will be better understood.

From the Leader of Wellbeing

YEAR 7 CAMP

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

In Our Community…

Vinnies Winter Appeal

Our Marist Sisters; College community is invited to support the Vinnies Winter Appeal this year. Students, parents and staff are asked to donate items needed for those who are experiencing housing hardship and disadvantage despite being in employment. These donations will be packed by students on the night of the Winter Sleepout and then distributed by Vinnies Van Services in the local Ryde area.

Please refer to the allocated items within your House. They can be delivered to Marian House from Weeks 4 – 5 during tutor time.  Thank you for your support.

Social Justice Week 

MSCW celebrated Social Justice Week in Week 3. The theme was ‘Bridging the Gap’ which aims to minimise the differences between the privileged and disadvantaged groups in order for everybody to have the same rights and opportunities. Facilitated by the Marists in Action (MIA) team, each day focused on a particular group such as the homeless, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (ATSI) and women. 

On Monday, the Vinnies Winter Appeal was launched where the College community are invited to donate items needed for those who are experiencing housing hardship and disadvantaged despite being employed. Tuesday’s focus was on gender parity where students were invited to create their own vision board of strong and inspirational women at lunch. On Wednesday, the College was lucky to have special guests, Lisa and Lukasz, from the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry. They had volunteered their time to teach our students Aboriginal rock painting and the symbolism used in artworks.  

On Thursday, students joined MIA to watch the film ‘Hidden Figures’ at the Theatrette. It is a film raising awareness about racism and discrimination in the workplace during the 1960’s in the United States. The last day ended with a ‘sit down’ volleyball game between teachers and students which aimed to promote empathy and bridge the gap between ‘us’ and people with disabilities. A huge thank you to the Marists in Action (MIA) team and Ms Ison who worked hard to facilitate these range of exciting social justice initiatives throughout the week. It was encouraging to see students engaging with the activities and being more aware of those who are less fortunate. 

We also appreciate your donations for the Winter Vinnies Appeal so far. Donations can still be made and placed in Marian House in Week 4 and 5. 

Ms Jenny Vu, Youth Ministry Coordinator

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

In Our Curriculum…

This week we highlight the incredible work that Year 10 students are applying in their Philosophy classes. To begin this term, Year 10 students have begun exploring the unit on Aesthetics. Aesthetics is an area of value theory or axiology that is focused on the study of beauty, art and taste. Beauty can be attributed to natural features of the environment like rainforests or beaches as well as to human made objects like music or art. This option deals with how beautiful environments or objects make us feel, as well as how we judge the beauty and value of different art and objects. 

As part of this study, students will examine key philosophical thinking on aesthetics and consider key questions in communities of inquiry. To achieve this, students have been consolidating their knowledge, values and skills through activities such as a Case Study on Banksy, comparing subjective and objective notions of beauty and discussing the arguments on the link between aesthetics and moral values.

Thank you to our Year 10 Philosophy students for your efforts! Thank you to Ms. Rachael Colreavy for her continued commitment and dedication to Year 10 Philosophy.

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

Family Maths

Family Maths: Talking Positively about Maths at Home

The MSCW community encourages its families to have positive conversations at home about the use of mathematics in the world. Whether it’s in working through homework tasks, completing jobs at home or sitting around the dinner table, discussions about mathematics are most productive when framed with positive value on its use in everyday life. To start us off, we would like to explore Family Math, an initiative by the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) in the United States of America, aimed at making mathematics a natural and enjoyable part of families’ daily lives.

What does it mean to have ‘Family Maths’?

Family Math is an initiative that promotes the discussion and inclusion of culturally relevant maths activities and conversations during everyday interactions. This could be anything from learning fractions while cooking, to estimating time while planning your day, or even recognising shapes during playtime. The goal is to integrate maths seamlessly into daily routines in the home, making it accessible and enjoyable for children from a young age until they graduate high school.

Research shows that children who participate in everyday maths conversations tend to perform better academically and develop stronger problem-solving skills. This practice helps children build a positive self-identity around maths, moving away from the limiting belief of “I’m not a maths person.” Instead, they learn to see maths as a valuable tool for solving real-world problems and making informed decisions.

Impact on Children and Families

By participating in positive conversations about maths and integrating its use into home activities, families not only help their children excel academically but also foster a love and appreciation for mathematics that can lead to greater opportunities in the future. 

Join the Movement – Positive Conversations!

We invite you to join the Family Math movement by exploring the website below. We particularly recommend viewing the webinar series, including Unlocking the Power of Family Math. There are a number of activity packs and guides for download as well.

For more information and to access these resources, visit the Center for Family Math website or email Miss Emma Pracey at emma.pracey@syd.catholic.edu.au

Maths Club

Gifted and Talented Report

We have a number of students in the Newman Program who have an additional diagnosis. They are gifted but may have a physical, auditory, visual diagnosis or ADHD or ASD diagnosis. These students are twice exceptional or “2e” students.

2e students, especially those with ADHD, often face challenges with organisation and time management skills which fall under executive function. This may be seen in your daughter where there is a lack of time awareness. You may notice that your daughter:

• often underestimates how long it will take to complete a task or to arrive somewhere on time. 
• may be oblivious to deadlines and due dates.

Help at home:

• To increase your daughter’s awareness of time, make use of any opportunity to practise time estimation. Make a game out of predicting, timing, and checking her time estimates for various activities.
• Use planners and calendars or agendas. Have assessment dates and homework written up for all to see.
• Have your daughter’s timetable printed and on display.
• Pack bags the night before.
• Organise together and plan their weekly routine at home and to follow an established homework/study schedule, taking in after school commitments.
• Structure any long-term assignments, such as reports and projects, by breaking them into smaller, manageable segments. 
• Encourage your daughter to study in the library and go to Maths Club after school
• Remove distractions such as phones and study in a supervised area.
• Set a timer for homework- 20 minutes on and 10 minutes off.

The following article may have more strategies you can implement to help with prioritising and working with the school to ensure your daughter can become more independent and back on track. It also has templates for planners and organisers free to download.

Be On Time! Get Organized with ADHD Time Management and Routines

Congratulations to the Yr 10 ethletes who participated in the Ethics Olympiad. There were 8 cases to argue on very challenging ethical dilemmas in the world today. The students came 5th out of 24 teams- an outstanding achievement. Congratulations to Leia, Demi, Harriet, Isabel, Seana and researchers Isabella and Alissa.

Mrs Colreavy’s Conundrum

Solve the 3 rebus puzzles below

Remember: A REBUS is a picture representation of a name, work, or phrase. 

The example here is : head over heels.

Email: rachael.colreavy@syd.catholic.edu.au with your answer. 

Correct answers will win a prize.

St Joseph’s College Budget Dinner

Sports News

Sydney FC Girls Football High Schools Cup

Congratulations to the Junior and Intermediate Football teams on their outstanding performance at the recent Sydney FC Girls Football High Schools Cup, held at Sky Park – Our Centre of Excellence.

Both teams exhibited remarkable skill and determination, proudly representing MSCW. Despite facing strong opponents from Matraville Sports High School, MSCW showed incredible resilience and sportswomanship.

Although they secured second place in their respective pools, narrowly missing out on advancing to the finals. It was a fantastic day of football.

NSW All Schools Sailing 2024

Congratulations to Lily Mercer, Year 9 Student and Isabella Lozevski, Year 10 Student who represented MSCW at the NSW All Schools Sailing regatta at Belmont, Lake Macquarie. There were 68 boats representing Schools from across Australia with many different classes (18 in total).

Isabella was in Division II sailing an ILCA 4, along with ILCA 6’s, 7’s, and a Spiral.  Isabella secured 21st overall.

Lily sailed sabot and came first in her class and 5th in her division. She also won the Kevin Buxton Memorial Trophy which is a trophy that is given to a sailer who demonstrates sportswomanship, kindness and appreciation towards fellow participants and regatta volunteers. 

Amazing achievement by both students.

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

Sports Results

Week 3

MVP

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Week 4

MVP

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

Canteen News

Change to Flexischools

Due to the increase of online orders, the cut off time will now be 8:00 am!

Please order as soon as you are able to.

Calling on volunteers