{"id":934,"date":"2024-06-20T22:37:38","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T22:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/?post_type=article&p=934"},"modified":"2024-07-24T13:28:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T03:28:38","slug":"message-from-the-principal","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/article\/message-from-the-principal\/","title":{"rendered":"Message from the Principal – Christine Harding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Welcome to the community of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer<\/strong>. Striving for excellence, we are the only specialist all-girls school in the Sutherland Shire.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dear Parents and Carers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Term 2 has progressed very quickly and our students have been working well in the classroom and focused on their learning. There is much to be proud of this term, with our students participating in so many extra curricular events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Teachers can open doors but you must enter it yourself.”<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Year 8 Debating Champions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is with much excitement that I announce Year 8 students Sairse O’Brien, Kate Middlemiss, Sophie George and Tamarli Hayden as winners of the 2024 Regional Catholic Schools Debating Competition. The girls have worked tirelessly during the debating season, diligently honing their skills in analysing arguments, constructing and rebutting arguments during debates. Congratulations on an outstanding achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OLM and DLS Caringbah Business Lunch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our inaugural Business Lunch held at Cronulla RSL last week was a resounding success. The atmosphere was buzzing with enthusiasm, and it truly showcased both OLM and DLS in a positive light highlighting the array of opportunities and connections we are giving our senior students. The Business Lunch provided a platform for our senior students to connect with businesses and industries, fostering meaningful relationships and building networks for future career paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Centenary Mass at Cronulla Parish<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Centenary Mass marked a significant milestone in celebrating the 100-year anniversary of St Aloysius Parish, Cronulla. The occasion was celebrated by the Archbishop, Anthony Fisher, who presided over the ceremony. It was heartening to witness the enthusiastic participation of numerous staff and students, who represented the College. The event not only commemorated a century of faith but also reaffirmed the strong community spirit that defines our school. Here’s to continuing our journey with Fr James, with renewed vigour and faith, guided by the values and principles that have guided us through the past century.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Semester One Reports<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semester One reports are available through Compass. To celebrate your daughter’s achievement, please find below some tips to make the most of Semester One Reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harding’s Hot Tips to Make the Most of Reports<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Read your daughter’s report with<\/strong> her<\/em><\/strong>. This immediately indicates openness, and provides direct encouragement and support to your daughter. Wherever there are positives, in either comments, grades, effort and so on, point them out to your daughter first. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The report <\/strong>should<\/em><\/strong> be viewed as a vehicle to move forward<\/strong>, and not be perceived as a final judgement of a daughter’s ability – because it is not. It\u2019s a \u201cscreenshot\u201d and not the whole story. It is important for students to know that they have the ability to modify and change their work ethic or study strategies, and they can improve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Don\u2019t just look at grades<\/strong>, focus on effort also<\/strong>. Performance is not measured solely by grades. Not every child will receive an A or B, in fact the average child would mostly achieve a C grade (which typically represents the middle 60%). Effort however can reflect the teacher\u2019s perspective on how hard your daughter worked, her commitment to fulfil homework, assignments and contribution in class. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. TALK to your daughter about the report, and LISTEN<\/strong>. Help your daughter not to blame someone or something that resulted in a disappointing report. Blame does not lead to action. If there are extenuating circumstances for a disappointing report, acknowledge these may have affected your daughter’s focus and give understanding. However, help your daughter accept that they perhaps did not put in the effort, or had not established an effective revision program, or had not given the required commitment. Asking your daughter what they could do next semester to improve or maintain excellence is a good start. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Grades vary between subjects, and compare exam results with assessment results. <\/strong>Identify specific subjects where grades were \u2018low\u201d and where others were \u2018high\u2019. It is not uncommon for students to have strengths in some subjects and weaknesses in others. Few children excel across all subject areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Establish goals for next semester. <\/strong>The report can, and should, be read as an instrument to create goals for next semester, now is the time to create goals for next semester. Some goals may be:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    • Focus on reading the question in assignments\/exams carefully to ensure the question is answered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ensure I make summary notes when I finish each topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Do at least 30 minutes reviewing what I learned at school each day, in addition to homework.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ask the teacher if I don\u2019t understand a concept.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • For example, if a subject is a weakness, spend 1 hour a week doing extra practice on  this subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When the goals are listed, display them in a prominent place \u2013 fridge, bedroom wall, notice board etc. so that they are a constant reminder to your daughter of what she can achieve.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Student Extended Leave (5 or more school days)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      We would like to bring to your attention some important policies regarding student absences and assessment variations at our school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Extended Leave Notification:<\/strong> It is crucial that if you are planning a holiday or any other extended absence for your child, you must complete an “Application for Extended Leave” form at least two weeks <\/strong>prior to the intended leave. This ensures that we can adequately plan for your daughter\u2019s absence and make necessary arrangements to support her education during this time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Variation of Assessment:<\/strong> If your daughter knows in advance that she will be away during an assessment period, please ensure they complete a “Variation of Assessment” application. This includes obtaining a parent’s signature and attaching independent evidence such as a travel itinerary. She should see Ms Romberg in person to arrange an alternate date for completing the assessment task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Educational Consequences:<\/strong> Please be aware that any decision to be absent from school, especially during assessment periods, will have educational consequences. It cannot be assumed that assessment tasks will be rescheduled to accommodate holidays or overseas trips taken during school time. The responsibility for any missed work or assessments will rest fully with the student.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        We appreciate your cooperation in adhering to these guidelines, as they are designed to ensure minimal disruption to your daughter\u2019s education and to maintain fairness in our assessment procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Return to Term 3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Term 3 commences on Monday 22 July 2024 with normal classes for Day 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Enjoy the holidays and time with your daughters,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Christine Harding, Principal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        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, Term 2 has progressed very quickly and our students have been working well in the classroom and focused on their learning. There is much to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-934","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=934"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/olmcburraneer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}