From the Principal

The Clancy Prize

This theme of “200 Years of Catholic Education” was continued at the Clancy Religious Art Exhibition last Friday night. Congratulations to our Year 9 Photographic and Digital Media students who won the Packing Room Prize with their work “Marist in Name and Nature”. 

Adventures in ‘Maristland’

Year 7 certainly experienced many adventures as they tackled the Goliath Swing, Vertical Cluster, Survivor and Archery, just to name a few of the activities on the recent Year 7 camp. I was very impressed by the enthusiasm and daring shown…only a few nerves…..of my group: “The Queen of Hearts”. The naming of the groups was in keeping with my “Alice in Maristland” theme and challenge that I put to Year 7 as incoming Marist girls at Orientation last year. Our “Queen of Hearts” guide Lachie, lying in front of the group, see the photo below, was very experienced in steering the group through the challenges. The girls would say, “his bad Dad jokes” added to the fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed being with the girls and seeing them encourage each other. I saw a real sense of acceptance, care and understanding as girls who experience difficulty were supported by others. I heard comments: “You can do it. Just go a little higher” or “Great shot. You nearly hit the bullseye” or while competing in the survivor challenge, “Just lie on your stomach and you won’t flip. That’s it, you are nearly there”. Each of these comments and more added to the teamwork and ‘sisters for Life’ attitude needed to get the job done and for girls to achieve their personal best. Our two Survivor teams, seen below, would give the TV Survivor teams a real challenge! 

I particularly enjoyed seeing the girls reach the heights in the Vertical Challenge. As you can see from the photos, for some a real struggle to climb higher but a real sense of achievement when they reached the top. The helmets a new fashion accessory!

Archery, a little closer to the ground, was a game of skill and a little tougher than first thought. Nonetheless…lots of fun.

The hardest of all, the Goliath Swing, really tested their courage. 

Well done girls!

From the Assistant Principal

Set Times for Home Learning

PARENTS: Many students come home from school and end up just waiting until they might ‘feel’ like doing schoolwork. Or else they drag everything out over the whole night. A much better way is each night have set allocated times for home learning. Many students find that learning in 20-30 minute blocks works well for them. During this time students should do homework first, then work on any assignments or upcoming tests, then use the rest of the time allocated for schoolwork to complete independent learning activities such as reviewing work they find difficult, making study notes or doing practice questions to build their skills. All distractions should be removed during this time, so students learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks of time. It is a great idea to make a timetable of the home learning and place it on the fridge so everyone is clear when students are focusing and when they are doing other activities or having free time.

STUDENTS: Some of the benefits for students of having set times allocated for home learning are:

• You are more likely to learn at home if you know when to start and when to end.
• You will be more effective when you remove distractions and learn to focus for 20-30 minute blocks.
• In all the times NOT allocated to schoolwork you can do whatever you like without feeling guilty about it.
• Having set times stops arguments between students and parents as everyone has agreed when the timeslots allocated to students will be.
• You know that you are definitely doing enough work for school.
• Keeping your home learning and personal life separate means you will be able to manage all of the distractions in your life and still complete your work for school.

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au which is accessible via favourites tab on COMPASS. You can also print a sheet outlining independent learning activities (click on the More menu then on Things to Print).

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.

Winter Uniform Expectations

Finally, I encourage you to check your daughter’s winter uniform and be reminded of our uniform expectations.

• The College blazer is always compulsory when the winter uniform is worn off campus.
• The wearing of navy tights is a mandatory requirement of the winter uniform.
• When a student is kneeling, the bottom of the hem of the kilt is to touch the floor.
• Shoes are to be black, lace-ups and are to be regularly polished.
• The jumper is NOT to be worn as the outer garment off campus
• T-shirts, singlets and any other item of undergarments are not to be visible at the neck of the blouse, or elsewhere.
• Each student’s hair is to be clean and well-groomed and of a style and colour that is considered acceptable by the College.
• A student may wear in each earlobe one small plain gold or silver earring. The stud/sleeper in one earlobe is to be matching in both ears. No other jewellery is to be worn, apart from a wrist watch. ‘No other jewellery’ also includes multiple piercings and non-metal variations.
• Students are permitted to wear a small religious icon or cross on a thin chain worn inside the uniform and sitting below the uniform’s collar or top button.
• Makeup – foundation, mascara, fake eyelashes, fake tan or bronzing products or similar – must NOT be worn with the College uniform.
• Students’ nails are to be short to medium length. Only clear nail polish is considered acceptable. No fake or acrylic nails are deemed appropriate whilst at school. 
• The College backpack is the required navy school bag that can be purchased with the College uniform.
• An appropriate parentally signed note is to be completed if, in the short term, a student is unable to wear the required uniform, and is to be shown to a student’s House Coordinator or Tutor upon arrival at the College. Parent or carers should liaise with their daughter’s House Coordinator on this matter.

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

Pentecost

On Sunday 23 May we celebrated the season of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.The experiences of the early Church are significant to us today. Nothing happens without the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit fills our hearts with love, our souls with grace and our conscience with the truth and right teaching so that we can proclaim Jesus Christ with dignity, authenticity and humility.

Whenever we reach out in genuine love and concern to others, it is then that the Spirit is guiding us; giving us renewed strength.

Balay Banaag – House of Hope

At the Staff Spirituality Retreat and Day at the end of Term 1, staff made Rosary beads and wrote a personal note for the members of the Balay Banaag Centre in Davao City, the Philippines.  Balay Banaag – “House of Hope” is a ‘safe place’ for girls at risk. The Centre provides shelter, support, education and an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty for ‘at risk behaviours and abuse of girls between 6 and 18 years of age.’ Balay Banaag offers these girls a future with dignity, hope and independence. The Marist Sisters took over the management of the centre in 2018. The community finds solace and support of their faith in praying the Rosary.

Please find below the email from Sr Lilibeth, Director of the Balay Banaag Centre:

Dear Mary and Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich staff,

The package has finally arrived! Thank you so much for the rosary beads and most especially the notes. The children were very happy to receive it this morning.   I told them that each envelope contains a note of prayer from your staff and they said woooowww… It assures them that whatever difficulty we are experiencing at the moment there are people who pray for us in the center and it means a lot to them. Thank you so much. We are thinking of sharing it with their family members too. Thank you so much.

God bless you all more,

Sr. Lilibeth and Balay Banaag Children

We ask God’s blessings on Sr Lilibeth and all the Balay Banaag community.

As we continue to journey through the season of Easter and the month of May, Pope Francis has invited all the faithful to pray the rosary every day of May to ask for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and staff continue to gather each day at 2.00pm in the College Chapel to pray a decade of the Rosary throughout the month of May.

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

From the College Counsellor

If you think you are being followed

The feeling of being watched is something that most of us have experienced at some stage. Thankfully in the majority of cases this is just down to an overactive imagination, but what if your fears were correct? What if you were being followed? As our young daughters gain independence and try new things, they might begin walking to school or home on their own for the very first time. Having a conversation about personal safety does not need to be over-the-top and alarmist, but it is not something that should be taken lightly either. 

Many parents want to know practical approaches to keep their daughters safe from danger when they are out and about. Below are just some ideas to consider when having a discussion about personal safety and what your daughter can do to stay safe if she feels she is being followed. 

Keep calm

Instinct can play a key role. It’s important to trust your senses and keep a calm head to protect yourself and get to safety as quickly as possible. Whilst the urge to run might be strong, it is best to slow down and give yourself a moment to gather your thoughts and take stock of what’s happening around you. 

Pay attention and be aware of your surroundings

We often do things on autopilot. Take notice of the route you take and minimise any distractions. It can be difficult to be fully aware of your surroundings if you have headphones in and music blaring. Try not to keep looking over your shoulder. You may need to mix things up and take a detour or different route to confuse your follower. 

Go where people are

Get to somewhere public as quickly as you can even if you have to double back to where you started from. Crowds can deter a stalker from continuing to follow or approaching you as there are too many witnesses around. 

Get on the phone

Call a friend or family member, tell them where you are and stay on the phone with them until you feel comfortable.

Call police

If you feel you are in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to contact the police and get help. Making a report to police about being followed, even if you can’t identify the offender, may also prevent someone from committing further crimes. 

Carry a personal safety device or install a safety app on your mobile phone

There are several apps built specifically for personal safety with different personal safety features and are available for Android and iOS. You can alert police or your emergency contacts with these apps if you’re in trouble, so they’re great tools to have on your phone. You may wish to do your own research and find an app or personal safety service that best suits the needs of your family.

If you would like to discuss the above or have any concerns about your daughter, please feel free to contact the College Counsellors – Louise Scuderi via louise.scuderi@syd.catholic.edu.au or Monica Rogenmoser via monica.rogenmoser@syd.catholic.edu.au or phone (02) 9816 2041 / 0435 659 694. 

Year 9 and 10 Evangelisation Day

On Wednesday 5 May, a group of Year 9 and 10 students represented the College at the Sydney Catholic School Evangelisation Day. The theme was ‘Made for More’.

This event consisted of live music, prayer, Q&A and talks that allowed students to explore their Catholic faith. The guest speaker, Tommy Francisco, spoke about his vocation in pursuing music and continually being a witness of Jesus, while Fr Chris Desouza spoke on celebrating the ‘Year of Saint Joseph’.

Students found it enjoyable and a worthwhile day because they were given a chance to connect with like-minded young people across Sydney Catholic Schools.

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

Youth Afternoon Invitation for Years 11 and 12 Students

Sports News

NSW CCC Football Championships

Congratulations to the following MSCW students who represented CGSSSA at the annual NSW CCC Football Championships:

• Angelina Manos
• Kora Villa
• Michaela Rattos
• Georgia Vassallo

CGSSSA dominated from the first game and were the standout Diocese throughout the pool games and toped pool B.

The scene was set for an exciting final against Wollongong. The game did not disappoint and went from end to end in the first half. CGSSSA continued to create chances and the goal final came with 5 minutes remaining and this was enough to take out the Championship.

CGSSSA successfully gained four selections into the NSW CCC Open Girls Team which will now compete in two weeks at the All Schools Football Championship.

CGSSSA Cross Country

On Friday 21 May, the Marist Sisters’ Cross Country team competed at the annual CGSSSA Cross Country Championship. The students competed extremely well, and we had some terrific results!

• Aliana Butler
• Tola Blicharska
• Ava Grivas
• Zara Carbone
• Georgia Hay
• Lara Carvallo
• Emily Polcino
• Ashley Alam
• Claire Beynon
• Caitlin Russell
• Bridget Butler
• Sofia Valentini
• Lucy Mutimer
• Ava Morgan
• Riley Caceres
• Hannah Sacco
• Leah Russell
• Amelie Fehir
• Miah O’Shea
• Isabel Chand
• Charlotte McClelland
• Georgia Southcombe
• Liv Arbuthnot
• Rosie Tozer
• Ellie Barnett
• Maddison Sherry
• Sofia Watts
• Ella Rochester
• Ava Turnbull
• Elsie Gray
• Bonita Glassock
• Alexa Donoghue
• Sienna Duarte
• Nerida Dewar
• Claudia Walker
• Zara Chand
• Bronte Fisher
• Eloise Good
• Mary Mulvey
• Tamara Jago
• Camille Good
• Sheridan Vella
• Victoria Moulang
• Ashley Shin
• Lauren Brown
• Anastasia Lakic
• Mia Rodgers
• Mackenzee Southcombe
• Eliza Pratt
• Katie Tozer
• Sasha Devajana
• Kalani Howard
• Kora Villa
• Emma Serrao

Congratulations to the following students who placed in the top 10:

12 Years
Aliana Butler – 9th Place

13 Years
Caitlin Russell – 11th Place

14 Years
Hannah Sacco – 7th Place
Leah Russell – 10th Place

15 Years
Maddison Sherry – 9th Place

16 Years
Bronte Fisher – 6th Place
Zara Chand – 7th Place
Eloise Good – 8th Place

17 Years
Anastasia Lakic – 9th Place

18+ Years
Kora Villa – 1st Place
Emma Serrao – 6th Place

Marist Sisters’ placed 3rd in the Overall Championship.

The following four students placed in the top 6 and will now progress to represent CGSSSA at the NSWCCC Cross Country Championships on Tuesday June 8:

– Kora Villa
– Emma Serrao
– Bronte Fisher.

MCCS Sport Results

Congratulations to the teams that have represented the College in the Thursday MCCS competition in Week 5. 

Please see the results and MVP (Most Valuable Player) for each team.

Congratulations to the teams that have represented the College in the Thursday MCCS competition in Week 6. 

Please see the results and MVP (Most Valuable Player) for each team.

Term 2 Thursday Sports Program Years 7 – 10

On Thursday sport days, all students must wear their full PE uniform to/from school and bring their MSCW sport cap.  Students should check their emails/Compass for details about sport groups.Year 7 and 9 Sport – every Day 4 (week 1 of timetable) Year 8 and 10 Sport – every Day 9 (week 2 of timetable). Students will be notified of their group via Compass.                                                 

Jarnosse News

Year 7 – Slow Down and Read

As part of their English programme, all Year 7 are doing the Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC). By the time the Challenge closes on Friday 20 August all girls should have added the 20 books they’ve read in the last 12 months to their PRC Student Reading Record.
 
Congratulations to those girls who have already completed this year’s Challenge.

Encourage your daughter to log in and show you where she’s up to. She has her Username and Password, and the PRC site is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
 
If she hasn’t read and recorded about 10-12 titles by now, she’ll need to do some catching up, and there’s no better time than winter for slowing down, snuggling up and reading.
 
So please encourage her to pop into Jarnosse, borrow some books and set aside some reading time each day. As a start, just 30 minutes before bed will be great for her mind and better for her sleep than time spent on her device.

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

Debating News

This year students at MSCW are taking part in the CSDA debating competition. It has been a great experience and opportunity to debate on topics that challenge us and push us to interpret the topic and develop our team’s case. Throughout the entire competition it has given us new insights and ideas as well as the growth of relationships with other students at the College. Debating is not all about having a strong team case but it is also about enjoying ourselves while competing. I have taken away from this competition new friendships as well as new perspectives on subjects. Along with debating comes coaching, which allows us to develop a deeper understanding of the art of debating and to build up our skills.  Without the guidance and organisational skills of our amazing debating teacher Mrs Colreavy, all of our successes would not have been possible. She has made sure that we are all comfortable and that we are able to have a great time debating each Friday afternoon. Thank you to our coaches and adjudicators who guide us and give up their time helping us. A big thank you to the many student volunteers who stay back after school until 7pm to help us with roles such as chairperson, timekeeper and guides, we really appreciate what you are doing for us.

Dimitra Hadjistavrou, Year 7 Student

We have been competing against schools from all over Sydney: from Marist Catholic College North Shore to Saint Patrick’s Dundas. Our debaters tackle global issues using logic, tact, and public speaking skills. We debate topics such as culture and religion, publicity, and the media, policy and government, free speech and activism. Debating helps us to take different views in society and try to understand contemporary issues from different perspectives. We work as a team to define the topic and create arguments to support our point. It’s really enjoyable to meet new people and work closely with school teachers and volunteers that help out as timekeepers and chairpeople. It’s really great to see all the teachers getting involved, our incredible Assistant Principal loves to help out! Mrs Colreavy is extremely dedicated to the debate teams and the whole competition, we love our training sessions and we learn so much about what is happening in the world today. Debating is like ‘The Hunger Games’ of public speaking. Don’t panic, no one dies. 

Adelaide Kennedy, Year 8 Student

The topics throughout this season have been challenging and thought-provoking, and have encouraged all debaters to think of these statements in a different way. A few topics in particular were: ‘There is little culture left to cancel’, and ‘Australia’s future is as a republic’. These topics have challenged us in more ways than one and encouraged us to keep up to date with current events (watch the news, The Project, Have You Been Paying Attention). All of our debates have been incredible learning experiences, especially for the Year 7s and the first-time debaters. They teach us how to deliver a speech on short notice, improve our critical thinking skills, and teamwork skills.

Alissa Tosh and Harriet O’ Connor, Year 7 students

Gifted and Talented Report

In the last newsletter I wrote about how perfectionism can be a trait amongst gifted and talented students. With the assessments coming to an end it is worth now thinking about how well your daughter copes with the feedback post assessment.

For some gifted and talented students feedback equals criticism. If a student hasn’t met her goal or achieved what she feels is worthy of her efforts, great distress can occur. Emotions such as anger, embarrassment, disappointment and blame are common and I am sure parents bear the brunt of these emotions when things don’t go as well as planned.

When emotions are raw it can be very hard to reason with students. Time and space might be required before you can sit and go through what has happened. As teachers we should be making clear that feedback is really feeding forward. It should look at what the student has been able to achieve and look at what she can do next time- our concern is always about growth.

Whether we call it feedback, feeding forward or constructive criticism- nobody likes it!

Even as adults we have to learn to deal with this in our jobs – contract renewals, appraisals, when applying for positions or promotions. I often survey my students and ask them to rate my knowledge, organisational skills, approachability, lessons and standards. It isn’t easy to do, but it is so important to model to our students that in order to grow professionally and improve we have to take the risk. Just like our students we want people to like our work and we want our hard work to be valued and appreciated. Without feedback we won’t know how we are progressing or what we can do to improve in the future. It’s really important too that students see that it is the piece of work that is being judged and assessed, not them as a person, meaning is not a criticism of who they are. Accepting feedback gracefully and being able to apply it and move forward are necessary parts of students’ growth and development. We care for our girls and want to work in partnership with them in order to reach their potential.

Year 7 Mathematics

In this issue I would like to showcase our Year 7 Mathematicians.

Class 7.1 are currently involved in the ‘Maths Learning Stations’ enrichment program.  Every three weeks the students are grouped to work together on a variety of enrichment tasks aligned with their current Stage 4 Mathematics course. The activities are designed to challenge the students to solve problems within a collaborative learning environment. Thanks to Mr Kleber, Mr Walker and Ms Dove for their work in developing this exciting initiative. What do our students think?

Newman Maths is an enriching experience, which opens up new opportunities for me to use my previous knowledge and boost it with the new knowledge we learn in Newman Maths. This class is why I find Maths a great opportunity to give myself a challenge and think creatively.

Charlotte Brailey, Year 7

Being a student in Newman Maths, I experience many different Math problems and strategies that help me adapt and broaden my knowledge when working with my classmates. Newman Maths opens up many opportunities for me to use my prior knowledge and add to my current Maths skills and is an amazing opportunity to challenge what I know and think outside of the box. I find Newman Maths a great chance to use collaborative thinking and to work in a team to achieve.

Sofia Vella, Year 7

This article on College life meets The Archbishop’s Charter for Catholic Schools – Charter #1, #2, #8 & #11

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019). 

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools 
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

Canteen News

Volunteers are required in the Canteen for recess and lunch. Any amount of time you have to assist the Canteen Staff would be much appreciated. New volunteers please sms your details to the Canteen Mobile on 0457 593 920.

Specials for Term 2

Weekly specials available on Wednesday and Thursday
All lunch orders need to be in by 8:30am.

Clothing Pool

Marist Sisters’ Clothing Pool are seeking your good quality unwanted College uniforms.

All proceeds of sales go back into the school community and are greatly appreciated.

Donations can be left with the General Administration Office.

Should you wish to place a Clothing Pool order please visit www.flexischools.com.au

Community News