Welcome to the community of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer. Striving for excellence, we are the only specialist all-girls school in the Sutherland Shire.
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we begin the new school year, this prayer is an invitation to God’s guidance and blessings for all those in our school community. It asks for wisdom, patience, and strength for both teachers and students, seeking to create an environment where learning is nurtured and Mercy values are upheld.
Loving God,
As we begin this new school year,
we thank You for the gift of learning and community.
Bless our teachers with wisdom and patience,
that they may guide us with care and understanding.
Bless our students with a thirst for knowledge,
a heart open to learning, and a spirit of curiosity.
Grant us the strength to face new challenges,
the courage to ask questions, and the grace to grow together.
May our school be a place where we support one another
and live out the teachings of Christ with love and kindness.
Help us to work with integrity, respect, and compassion.
Our Lady of Mercy Keep us under your protection and Bless our school
Venerable Catherine McAuley Pray for us
Welcome
We welcome our new students, new parents and new staff to our community and welcome back those who were part of the OLM community last year. In particular, we welcome our Year 7 and other new students as we begin a year of learning, growing and working together..
Our new staff who have joined our community:
Mrs Karen Shawcross – Assistant Principal
Mr Ian Anderson – Religious Education Coordinator
Mrs Bernadette Coppock – Instructional Leader Curriculum – English
Mr Christopher Shelston – Instructional Leader Wellbeing – Year 9
Mr Reece Bailey – Instructional Leader Wellbeing – Year 8
Ms Kate Berger – English and Newman Facilitator
Mrs Serena Gilligan – Science Teacher
Mr Samuel Zaky – English Teacher
Mr George Theoharis – Mathematics Teacher
Ms Josephine Jefferys – HSIE Teacher
Ms Lisa Peric – English Teacher
Mrs Liz Bates – Diverse Learning Teacher
Ms Irina Ivanova – Mathematics Teacher
Mrs Rhiannon O’Connor – HSIE Teacher
Ms Natachia Boyle – Learning Support Officer
It has been a very positive start to the 2025 academic year. Staff have have been working with your daughters on;
Learning Culture: All students were reminded of their rights and responsibilities as members of the OLM Learning Community.
Attendance: Emphasis was placed on the importance of understanding attendance expectations for academic success.
Diary: Students were made aware of the diary’s role as the primary tool for communication and organisation between school and home.
Uniform: Clear guidelines were provided regarding grooming, jewellery, and expectations for both school and sports uniforms.
A huge thank you to the Instructional Leaders of Wellbeing and our Homeroom Teachers who have worked very closely with your daughters in ensuring they began the year well informed and ready for learning.
Soiree By the Bay
It is with great joy that I reflect on the success of our recent Soirée by the Bay. Over 200 parents attended, making it an incredible evening of connection and community. This event provided a valuable opportunity to meet our dedicated teachers, strengthen relationships, and bring our school community closer together.
We are excited for the partnership we are building with you as we begin this school year. Working together, we can create a supportive and enriching environment for your daughters to thrive. Your involvement and collaboration are key to the continued success of our College.
We look forward to many more opportunities to engage with you throughout the year and to a wonderful, fruitful partnership ahead.
College Opening Mass
Our Opening College Mass was a prayerful and meaningful start to the school year, celebrated by Fr James McCarthy. It was a memorable occasion, with families and the broader school community gathering to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter in our school’s journey.
The Mass included the investiture of our inaugural Senior Student Leadership Team. This was a proud moment as we formally recognised these outstanding students, who will play a pivotal role in guiding our school throughout the year. Their dedication and leadership are certain to inspire all students and contribute to fostering a positive and supportive environment for all.
College Captains
College Captain – Amelia Buhagiar
College Vice Captain – Jana Nikolakopoulos
Portfolio Captains
Faith and Justice Captain – Mia Rajkovic
Stewardship Captain – Olivia Wellington
Co-Curricula Captain – Amber Govindrulu
Learning Captain – Elani Moshous
House Leaders
Baggot House Leaders – Daniella Edwards and Madeline Calabro
Coolock House Leaders – Amelia Gray and Sophie Hammon
Doyle House Leaders – Cathereine Palamara and Cyan McKinnon
Frayne House Leaders – Olivia Middlemiss and Sophie Mooney
Year 9 Thursday Sport with De La Salle Caringbah
This term, our Year 9 students are engaging in a new combined sports program with Year 9 students from De La Salle Caringbah. Based on valuable parent feedback, this initiative offers students a unique opportunity to participate in regular, interactive activities that encourage collaboration between our girls and their peers at De La Salle Caringbah. The aim is to build stronger connections and promote teamwork in a dynamic and supportive environment.
The first rotation of activities kicked off with great enthusiasm, allowing our students to try a variety of recreational sports, including Climb Fit, netball, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. While the primary focus is on recreational sports, students also have the chance to explore creative outlets in art and music, providing a balanced mix of physical and artistic expression.
We look forward to seeing how this program develops, fostering new friendships and promoting wellbeing throughout the term.
Christine Harding, Principal
2025 Year 7, 11 and 12 First Day
“New beginnings, endless possibilities.”
Principal’s Post on Empowering Young Women
Since 1935, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College has held a legacy of instilling the values of leadership, excellence and service, nurturing confident young women. We empower our girls to make their mark on society with confidence and compassion.
The following newspaper article from The Australian (Stephen Lunn, 7 January 2025) gives some important information to parents regarding anxiety and it challenges the current approach to managing anxiety in young people, urging a shift away from overprotective behaviors and over-diagnosis. It highlights the negative impact of excessive intervention from parents and teachers, which can reinforce anxiety rather than help children develop the emotional resilience they need. By promoting the idea that anxiety is a normal emotion that can be faced and managed, the article provides valuable insights for both parents and educators in fostering healthier, more resilient approaches to dealing with anxiety in children and teenagers.
“Normal childhood and teenage feelings of apprehension over difficult situations are being “pathologised” into lifelong anxiety by worried parents and stressed teachers.”
“And young Australians, egged on by social media influencers, are increasingly seeing it as a badge of honour among their peers.”
This is the warning from two leading clinical psychologists, who are looking to up-end current approaches to managing anxiety among young people by encouraging them to face their fears and urging well-meaning parents and teachers to pay it less attention and resist kowtowing to requests for special treatment, which too often makes matters worse.
This would also help contain the “contagion effect”, where young people hear social media influencers proudly flaunting their anxiety, or see their peers receiving extra help, and seek the same kudos and support, psychologists Danielle Einstein and Judith Locke say.
They warn anxiety has unfortunately been reframed into a lifelong condition, even though many young people simply need some temporary emotional tools to push through difficult or uncomfortable moments they’d rather not be facing. And they say parents must learn to “trust their gut” on this issue and stop catastrophising the chances their child has serious mental health problems. “Anxiety can be a normal human emotion when doing something challenging,” clinical psychologist Judith Locke tells The Australian Newspaper.
“But with greater awareness of anxiety, parents have become very, very worried that their child will become anxious. So they may become involved in trying to prevent it, say, by holding their hand all the way to school or over helping with a speech for class. “What ends up happening with that increased focus is that we start to pathologise a normal human emotion into something children can’t cope with and need protection from. It’s diagnosing a normal emotion.”
New research from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found almost three-quarters of Melbourne teenagers have experienced “clinically significant” levels of anxiety or depression at least once by the age of 18.
And in 2023 more than one in seven of the nearly 70,000 students sitting the NSW HSC were granted some form of special assistance in their final exams, with 8000 given rest breaks for anxiety or concentration issues.
The Australian Council for Educational Research’s Social-Emotional Wellbeing Survey last year analysed 500,000 responses from primary and secondary school students since 2018, finding 53 percent of high-schoolers reporting they felt “very stressed” and one in three primary school children saying they “feel very bad for long periods of time”.
“As a society we’ve flipped towards recognising all mental health disorders and intervening wherever possible to remove the stigma,” Dr Einstein says. “The system has now been set up to almost reward anxiety rather than leave it as a normal experience that just needs to be more or less managed by the individual, with a touch of professional help if necessary. But sometimes just some information from the right place will help steer them back on course.” Dr Locke explains how this is playing out in schools across the country, and why “anxiety” is spreading like wildfire, often due to worried parents intervening. “If a child is about to do a speech in class, they’re going to feel understandably nervous, but they’re looking for a reprieve. They mention to a parent they are anxious about doing it, and would prefer not to, or make the speech alone to the teacher at lunchtime. “The parent then speaks to the teacher, who agrees to let the child make the speech alone at lunchtime. Then the child’s friend hears that, and also is a bit nervous about the speech, so they ask for the same thing, and this is when the contagion effect happens.
“What we’re really talking about is discomfort being amplified up.” Dr Locke says another example is a child saying they need to be in a camp group with their best friend or they’ll be anxious. The best response would be for them to have to make the effort to get along with new people, but there is heightened emotion when the word anxiety is trotted out, she says.
The other concern is the new social cachet associated with a label of anxiety. “There’s almost a performative element to influencers talking about their anxiety,” Dr Einstein says. “It’s easy to exaggerate and indulge the feelings in order to get more views, to make it a bit more glamorous. “This is really not helpful, because most of the mental health advice being offered is not reliable, and it leaves people dwelling on anxiety.”
So what should young people feeling anxious do? And what advice is there for parents and teachers? “Anxiety has almost become a sexy word, almost like a badge. It’s saying ‘treat me differently, treat me like I’m special’. It’s not encouraging people to face in and overcome their anxiety on their own,” Dr Locke says.
Dr Einstein says the best way to treat anxiety is to “starve it of attention”. “The most crucial element that everyone seems to be missing at the moment is that we have to get over anxiety by ourselves. I’ve got to be able to beat whatever it is that I’m afraid of on my own, and know that I did it. “Beating it might just mean enduring it and getting to the other side of it so that time passes and I realise I’m still okay. It might not be that I have, you know, a fantastic, wonderful day. “I might not have enjoyed what’s happened, but it means seeing that I got to the other side of it, and that I’m all right, and knowing therefore that I can do it again,” she says.
Dr Locke says parents “aren’t trusting their gut” on how they handle these issues with their children.
“They’re thinking that ‘My child is one day away from bad mental health issues’, which is not correct. There’s a lot of catastrophising.” “There’s also some very bad advice on social media, dumb mate forums, as I call them, where you are often getting the worst advice because it sounds the most caring, like letting them stay home from school after they’ve had a fight with a friend.”
Dr Locke says parents should not indulge conversations about negative feelings. “One of the worst questions I think you can ask a child is ‘How do you feel about your exams?’. Or ‘How do you feel about starting school?’.
“Parents see good parenting as focusing on emotion, but (to reduce the risk of anxiety) it is better to focus on the things that happen rather than their feelings about what happened. “Even if they do talk about uncomfortable feelings, then go through the process of ‘listen, empathise, then normalise’. “If we don’t do that step of normalising, then they’ll start to think, ‘I’m the only one that was nervous today at school’, or ‘I was the only one that’s nervous about school camp next week’,” she says.
Dr Einstein also warns of the danger of allowing children who are feeling anxious to spend hours alone on their social media, which tends to create a vicious circle. Both women regularly advise schools about how to handle the tidal wave of anxiety flowing through the education system. But they acknowledge teachers are in a professionally uncomfortable situation if they opt to help a child through their anxiety rather than being kind to them. “Even the teacher that insists that the child doesn’t get in the camp group with their best friend and that they just make a new friend, there’s a great likelihood that other people are going to think the teacher is mean and not see that they are actually encouraging that child to be able to do what they need to do in life,” Dr Locke says. “Even psychologists and GPs are receiving parental pressure to write letters to excuse children from facing tricky things they could do, but simply don’t want to do.”
Dr Einstein says it is critical to remember that anxiety is not usually a lifelong condition, and that we need to stop the “subtle benefits” to help children overcome it and develop greater resilience and confidence in the longer term. “Sometimes I speak to people and they say ‘Oh no, I know that anxiety will be with me for life’.
“But you can change it, and if you have the right approach to it, it’s not something that has to defeat you for life.”
Assistant Principal – Karen Shawcross
”Education is a passport to freedom and the means to unlock the globe.”
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Assistant Principal of OLM. It has been a wonderful start to the term, with both students and staff being incredibly welcoming and friendly.
In my role, I am committed to supporting the spiritual, academic, social, and emotional growth of all students. I look forward to working closely with students, parents, teachers, and the wider school community to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive and to embody what it means to be a ‘Mercy Girl’.
As we begin the year, I encourage open communication and partnership between home and school. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to meeting many of you throughout the year at school events and gatherings.
Opening College Mass: A Meaningful Start to the Year:
Our Opening College Mass was a truly special experience and a wonderful way to begin the year. Students demonstrated great attentiveness and reverence throughout the occasion, reflecting the Mercy spirit of our school community.
A heartfelt congratulations to our senior students who received their leadership and House Captain badges. A special mention to our College Captain, Amelia, who spoke with pride and confidence as she read the leadership pledge on behalf of the team. This event set the tone for a year of growth, leadership, and excellence.
Uniform Reminder: Wear It with Pride!
Our school uniform is a key part of our identity, and it should be worn with pride at all times. While most students follow the dress code, we’ve noticed that some skirts are shorter than the required length. This is often due to rolling them up, which can be easily fixed. Over the past three weeks, we have been requesting that students address shortened uniforms. However, some students have not yet complied. Starting tomorrow, parents will receive a Compass notification if a skirt has been permanently shortened by hemming or cutting, asking for it to be corrected within three days
Additionally, nail polish and makeup must follow the guidelines outlined in the student diary. If you’re unsure about the rules, please refer to pages 20-21 for more details.
E-Bike Safety & Guidelines
The use of e-bikes as a mode of transport is becoming increasingly popular, offering a fun and convenient way to travel. However, student safety remains our top priority. We recently reminded students of the safety concerns when riding to and from school and sent a letter home via Compass outlining the rules regarding e-bike use. As stated in the letter, only two types of e-bikes are permitted in NSW: electronically power-assisted cycles and power-assisted pedal cycles. These must comply with Transport for NSW regulations. Any overpowered e-bikes or those that do not meet these requirements are not allowed on SCS school grounds.
We have spoken with students currently using e-bikes and have designated a specific area for bike storage during the school day. Students should have taken a consent form home, which must be signed and returned to Student Services.
A reminder to all riders: helmets must be worn at all times.
Fire Safety
Karen Shawcross, Assistant Principal
2025 Opening Mass
Open Day
90 Years OLM Anniversary – Invitation
Religious Education Coordinator – Ian Anderson
The Religious Education Department here at OLM has been extremely busy over the past three weeks. During this time, we have been getting into the classroom, planning for the year ahead, and on Tuesday, 18 February, we celebrated our College’s Opening Mass with Fr. James McCarthy. Our young women displayed great reverence, and Fr. James engaged them throughout the Mass while delivering his homily, which centered on the story of Noah’s Ark and its relevance to our College specifically. A treasured part of attending Mass at St. Aloysius Parish was that Fr. James brought his new puppy, Kishi. Kishi seemed to love the girls and quickly became a favourite among them.
During the Mass, we inducted our 2025 Student Leadership Team. These leaders have already met to discuss ways to move the Mercy Action Group forward and create new initiatives to strengthen social justice here at the College.
I encourage all parents to discuss with their daughters how they can better engage with their faith — in the Church, at the College, in the wider community and through the Mercy Action Group (MAG). Later this term, we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, as well as hold the Year 8 Retreat and the Year 11 Retreat. Please keep an eye out for details about these events, along with the launch of the Social Justice program.
Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all parents, teachers, and students at the College. As someone who is new to the teaching staff this year, I have never felt so welcomed in a new community. Your daughters have been receptive, polite, kind, and extremely supportive. The parents I have had the pleasure of meeting have been open and friendly, and the staff have already made me feel like part of the family. The community here at OLM is truly beautiful, and I hope that during my time here, I can continue to foster, nourish, and build upon it. I look forward to all that the rest of this year has to offer.
Blessings in Christ,
Mr Ian Anderson, Religious Education Coordinator
Term 1 – 2025 Calendar Update
Term 1 –2025Important Dates
Monday – 24 February – Tuesday 25 February Year 7 Camp – Collaroy
Friday – 7 March Staff Professional Learning Day – No Students If your daughter requires supervision please contact the College
Saturday – 8 March 90 Years Anniversary OLM – Alumni Morning Tea at 10am
Friday – 14 March Year 8 Reflection Day
Wednesday 12 – Wednesday 19 March NAPLAN – Years 7 and 9
Tuesday – 25 March– Wednesday 26 March Duke of Edinburgh – Bronze Award Practice Hike
Monday – 7 April – 8 April Year 8 Camp – The Tops, Stanwell Park
Wednesday – 9 April Year 10 Vaccinations
Tuesday 8 – Wednesday 9 April Year 11 Retreat at Benedict XVI
Monday – 14 April School holidays commence
Thursday – 17 April Holy Thursday
Friday – 18 April Good Friday
Saturday – 19 April Holy Saturday
Sunday – 20 April Easter Sunday
Monday – 21 April Easter Monday
Friday – 25 April Anzac Day
Monday – 28 April Staff Professional Learning Day – No Students If your daughter requires supervision please contact the College
Tuesday – 29 April Students commence Term 2 – Day 2, week A
Leader of Learning – Integrated Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment – Lisa Romberg
A special welcome to the 2025 academic school year, especially our families that are new to the College. We hope that your daughter has enjoyed her first weeks at OLMC.
It was a pleasure to meet some parents at the Information Evenings this week and last.
Learning at OLM – opportunities to engage with your daughter about her learning
Assessment Handbooks for 2025
Communication Channel with OLM staff
Home learning – what is expected and how to help your daughter
Study Skills – a fabulous resource for all families
Tuesday Afternoon Open Learning
External Competitions – Opportunities for 2025
1. Visible Learning
OLM Catholic College is a school that embraces visible learning. Each lesson, teachers will go over the ‘Learning Intentions’ and ‘Success Criteria’. We would love for you to engage in your daughter’s learning by asking her what she has learnt today or this week in a particular subject. We hope that she talks to you about what she has learnt and how she knows she has been successful in her learning and what she is still to master. Engaging with her in this way strengthens her learning, helping her consolidate what she has learnt and moving this from short term to long term memory. Below is a little more about LISCs
LEARNING INTENTIONS (LI)
LEARNING INTENTIONS – Science
Learning intentions describe what students will learn (i.e. knowledge, concepts, skills and dispositions)
Learning intentions directly link to the curriculum/syllabus
To classify and organise organisms based on observable features
SUCCESS CRITERIA (SC)
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Provide further details related to the knowledge and/or skills that are at the focus of the learning.
Label and list examples of organisms according to similarities and differences in particular features
Identify organisms using a key provided
Compare organisms using a keyCreate a key to identify organisms
2. Assessment Handbooks
The assessment handbooks have been published for each Year Group.
LOCATIONS:
College Website → College Life → Student Life→ then under each Year Group Heading
COMPASS → Community → School Documentation
Please take time to read the handbook with your daughter’s taking note of assessment dates using the term planners. Links to these are provided in the table below.
We ask that if you have regular medical/dental appointments that you please try and avoid dates of assessment tasks. If you are able to reschedule any appointments that have already been made, that would be appreciated.
We encourage you to be aware of the expectations of your daughter if she is absent for a task.
Taking responsibility for her own learning is part of your daughter’s educational journey, thank you for supporting us in assisting your daughter grow in this area.
Summary of Missed Assessment Task expectations and Term Schedules
At OLM Catholic College Burraneer we value the partnership between school and home in assisting each student to thrive as a learner. Should you wish to discuss your daughter’s learning or wellbeing, we ask that you use the appropriate communication channel.
Contact details for the College Leadership Team, the Instructional Leaders, Curriculum and Wellbeing and other key staff members can be found at the beginning of all Assessment Handbooks – Link
Communication channel
Learning
Wellbeing
First point of contact
Classroom Teacher To discuss your daughter’s learning in a subject.
Homeroom Teacher To discuss your daughter’s wellbeing and school life.
Second point of contact You’re seeking clarification on your first level of contact.
KLA Instructional Leader Can assist with questions about assessment tasks, subject content or overall learning in a subject.
Instructional Leader of Wellbeing Can assist with specific issues related to your daughter’s wellbeing at home or school.
Third point of contact You’re seeking clarification on your second level of contact.
Leader of Learning, Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment Can assist with concerns across subjects or tasks.
Leader of Wellbeing Can assist with complex or consistent wellbeing concerns alongside ILWs.
Fourth point of contact You’re seeking clarification on your third level of contact.
Assistant Principal
Fifth point of contact
Principal
4. Home Learning
Home Learning is vital to equip students to be effective independent learners, as well as to consolidate knowledge learned in school time. Students need to practise study skills, learn how to manage their time and ensure that spaced revision becomes habitual rather than incidental. Home study is especially valuable for focusing areas of weakness that can become cemented if not addressed. Teachers can individualise and facilitate this process if the student is able to articulate the areas in which they are struggling well before formal assessments reveal the difficulty. Home study helps students learn how to prioritise tasks, problem solve and take responsibility for their own learning. It is also an important way for parents to be part of the learning process and to emphasise and value that learning is an ongoing endeavour.
Home Learning Guidelines:
Stage 4: Students should be spending up to 1 ½ hours per night on home learning
Stage 5: Students should be spending up to 2 hours per night on home learning
Stage 6: Students should be spending between 2 ½ to 3 hours per night on home learning
HOME LEARNING – WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?
Write questions to clarify
If there are areas that need clarification students should write down those questions so that they can ask their teacher the next day.
Read Ahead
Students should read ahead in their textbooks, read their prescribed text or read relevant source material well before this material is addressed in the classroom. This will assist them when they come to the content in class as the information is more familiar to them.
Prepare study summaries
Students should prepare study summaries each week. Some subjects have very specific content that must be learnt, and dot point summaries in these subjects can be highly beneficial. Summaries should be brief and concise, they should be “written” in a way that best suits the students learning style(s). Pictures, tables, mind maps, short notes, flow carts can all be used. Simply re-writing notes without modification or adaptation is not helpful.
These summaries should be reviewed on a regular basis so the content is lodged in the long term memory.
Past Papers (especially for Years 11 and 12)
Students should prepare for examinations by completing Past Papers. These should be done twice.
The first time students should review their study summaries and then put them away. They should then complete the Past Paper without looking at their summary. They should make sure they use techniques taught in class to unpack the question, brainstorm technical terms and scaffold an answer.
The second time they do the Past Paper they should change the pen colour that they use and complete the paper with their study notes, class notes and text book. They should remember to add any technical terms missed. This process helps refine whether they know the content or not.
5. Study Skills
Every student and their family has a subscription to the following Study Skills Library. It is a fabulous resource for all students, parents and teachers.
We encourage you to look at this resource with your daughter as it has many valuable tips, resources and information about many aspects of student life. Each newsletter I will include an article written by Dr Prue Salter the founder of this fabulous resource.
The Role of Curiosity in Learning
Fuel Your Studies with the Power of ‘Why’
Curiosity is a superpower in disguise. It’s what drives us to ask questions, seek answers, and explore the world around us. When you bring curiosity to your studies, learning transforms from a chore into an adventure. Instead of memorising facts, you uncover connections, develop insights, and truly understand the material. So, how can you harness curiosity to enhance your study routine?
1. Ask Questions—Constantly
Curiosity starts with a question. As you study, pause to ask yourself questions like:
“Why does this happen?”
“What if this were different?”
“How does this relate to what I already know?”
For example, when learning about historical events, don’t just focus on what happened—ask why it happened, who benefited, and how it impacted the future. Questions like these deepen your understanding and make the material stick.
Tip: Keep a ‘Curiosity Journal’ where you jot down interesting questions as you study. Research the answers later to satisfy your curiosity.
2. Connect Topics to Your Interests
When you relate what you’re studying to something you’re passionate about, it becomes far more engaging. For instance:
If you love sports, explore the physics behind a soccer kick or the biology of endurance.
If you’re into art, investigate how historical events influenced artistic movements.
Drawing these connections helps you see the relevance of your studies in everyday life and keeps your motivation high.
Tip: Use analogies from your hobbies to simplify complex ideas. For example, think of the heart as a pump in an engine if you’re into mechanics.
3. Go Beyond the Textbook
Curiosity thrives when you explore beyond the surface. Don’t limit yourself to the assigned reading—dive deeper by:
Watching documentaries or YouTube explainers on the topic.
Exploring online resources like Khan Academy or National Geographic.
Asking your teacher for extra material or recommendations.
Tip: This extra effort doesn’t just expand your knowledge—it also shows your teachers that you’re genuinely engaged with the subject.
4. Create Your Own ‘What If’ Scenarios
Challenge yourself to think critically by imagining alternative outcomes or scenarios. For example:
What if a historical battle had gone the other way?
What if ecosystems lost key species?
How might a technological invention evolve in the future?
Tip: This kind of thinking fuels curiosity and builds critical thinking skills.
Stay Curious, Stay Engaged
Curiosity is the engine of learning. By asking questions, connecting topics to your interests, and exploring beyond the textbook, you can transform even the most challenging subjects into exciting puzzles to solve. Remember, every discovery you make builds your understanding and sharpens your skills. So next time you sit down to study, channel your inner detective and let curiosity guide the way.
You can learn more at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with the details below and working through some of the units.
School username: OLMBurraneer
School password: Mercy
6. Tuesday Afternoon Open Learning
Our Afternoon Open Learning has moved to Tuesday this year and will start on the 4 March . This will be held in the Library each Tuesday afternoon from 3pm until 4pm.
This time will provide students with the opportunity to collaborate with fellow students, complete any group tasks or learning experiences or provide a quiet space for study and home learning. In addition teachers will be available to assist students with their learning. This includes: * assistance with time management and planning * tips and tricks to developing study tools such as mind maps, study notes, flash cards * subject specialists who can help answer questions
7. External Competitions 2025 – Open to all students
Free competitions are open to all students and are particularly targeted to students who have special interests and abilities in these areas. Where there is a cost involved, students can approach Miss Romberg or Mrs Burden to enquire about participating.
Miss Lisa Romberg, Leader of Learning: Integrated Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment.
Leader of Operations – Andrew Mackenzie
Bus Safety Week runs from
Monday 17 – Sunday 23 February 2025
Key Messages for School Students on the Bus
Use the hand-rail to help get on and off the bus.
Take a seat quickly and place large bags or bulky items under the seat. Avoid placing any items in the aisle that might cause a hazard.
Buckle up if the bus has seat belts.
If you are standing, hold on at all times.
Stay alert and avoid being distracted by mobile devices and headphones.
Press the stop button well before your stop to give the driver plenty of time to stop.
Stay in your seat until the bus has come to a complete stop.
Andrew Mackenzie, Leader of Operations
From the HSIE Faculty – Luke Reynolds
Ancient History – Archaeological Cookie Dig
On Wednesday 19 February the Ancient History class undertook an archaeological cookie dig. In our recent lessons we have been learning about different excavation methods and procedures surrounding the preservation of artefacts.
To understand this better, we placed a cookie on a grid and then drew the shape of the cookie on another grid. The chocolate chips in the cookie were our artefacts and we used toothpicks, which mimicked archaeological tools, to carefully remove the chips from the cookie batter, which represented the sediment. As we removed the artefacts from the sediment, we drew the artefacts on the grid in the place in which we found them. Once the artefacts were removed from the sediment, we counted the amount of artefacts we had, which mostly reflected the amount of artefacts we had drawn on the grid.
Through this experiment, we were able to get a more hands-on understanding of how difficult it is to excavate artefacts without damaging them, as well as how each method of excavation works. This fun and interactive activity not only built our knowledge in a creative way, but was also thoroughly enjoyable for all of us.
By Amelia Baillon – Year 11 Ancient History
PDHPE Faculty – Damien Trevillion
Through the study of Personal Development, Health and Physical Education courses, students develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes needed to take action to protect and enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing in varied and changing contexts.
Surf Survival Course
This week 36 students from the OLM PASS and Marine classes met at South Cronulla SLSC for their Surf Survival Course. In completing this, students will be able to participate in the many open water sports and activities on offer here at the College.
As part of the course the students had to complete a 200m swim in under 5 minutes, demonstrate competency paddling on a surfboard, complete a board rescue, demonstrate competent CPR techniques and complete a written test. The students completed the course in beautiful conditions, all be it a little windy and all were extremely well behaved, which the Lifeguards all commented on.
This now enables the students to participate in activities such as: surfing, PASS camp, snorkelling and the Marine camp.
Uncle Bruce Shillingsworth Visit
Uncle Bruce Shillingsworth Senior is a proud Budjiti / Murrawari Elder and came to OLM to talk to our Senior and First Nations students on a variety of topics. For our Senior students studying subjects such as: CAFS, PDHPE, SOR, English and Legal Studies it was terrific to hear a detailed insight for a variety of syllabus dots points such as: health inequities; housing; education; lore/law; kinship and; dreamtime just to name a few. The girls were thoroughly engaged throughout the talk and highly valued the first hand accounts.
Our First Nations students also attended the presentation and afterwards were able to have a more intimate chat with Uncle Bruce about their culture and their story and connection to the land. Uncle Bruce thoroughly enjoyed his visit and is planning to come back in NAIDOC week.
Our OLM Cross Country Carnival will be held at Burraneer Park at 8am on Thursday 27 March. Students will meet at school at 7.45am to walk to the park supervised by their teachers. The carnival is for students wishing to be considered for selection in the OLM team for the Sydney Catholic Schools Championships. 12/13’s run 3km, 14’s-16’s run 4km, 17+ run 6km.
Welcome back to another exciting year of Sport in Sydney Catholic Schools.
This year the Out of School Hours (OOSH) program offers many new opportunities in the holiday and after school programs. SCS is unique in this way as it is the only education system that offers our students sport after school hours and in the holidays.
