Delany College - Granville

Newsletter Term 3 Week 9

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As the end of Term 3 rapidly approaches, it is timely to reflect on the events of the last term and plan with your child on their learning goals and indicators of success for Term 4.  Importantly, students need to fully engage in the learning opportunities and focus on those habits that not only support their learning at school but are also critical in preparing them for the world of work beyond the school gates.  Fundamental to all workplaces is the need to be respectful of one another, take responsibility for your actions and to maintain standards. These are central elements of our Positive Behaviours for Leading Learning program that we have been working on with students.

Last week, we paused to acknowledge R U OK? Day. While it is important to ask one another Are you ok? each and every day, pausing to focus on the issues highlights the support available to assist people experiencing the ups and downs of life. A conversation can be liberating and a simple way to start can be asking ‘What is happening for you today”. As part of recognising R U OK? day the Year 12 students were treated to a pizza lunch and we acknowledged the challenges they have faced undertaking their final year of studies in the face of a global pandemic.  

Please keep our Year 12 students in your prayers over the next 5 to 6 weeks. They have a handful of school days left prior to undertaking their final HSC exams.  This is a critical time for each student - the results from the Trial exams provide a good reality check and a guide to each and every student where they can improve.  Our teachers generously provide additional opportunities for students to attend workshops over the holidays and classes are mandatory in the first week of Term 4.

There is no substitute for hard work and applying the NIKE motto - Just Do It! 


We are pleased to also announce that arrangements for Graduation and the Year 12 Formal can now be changed based on the recent announcements by the NSW government. I will be writing to families with details of how we can celebrate the end of their child’s school journey shortly.

Finally, as you would be aware, next Wednesday is the last day of Term 3 for students. Students will be able to wear Mufti on this day, following our normal guidelines.

I thank all staff and students for their efforts this term.  Looking forward, the first day of Term 4 for students is  Monday 12 October  Students are required to wear the formal summer uniform Monday to Wednesday, and Friday.  On Thursdays students will again be able to wear the College sports uniform as students will be participating in sports activities on a Thursday afternoon. Year 11 students will have mandatory classes on Thursday afternoons and are therefore required at school until 3.05 pm.

To all, stay safe over the holiday period and we look forward to seeing your daughters and sons back at school bright and early in Term 4.

God Bless 


Mr Paul Easton

Principal

R U OK?

Assistant Principal


Perhaps time is flying by faster in our COVID-mixed up world, but we suddenly find ourselves at the end of Term 3.

I wish every student and family a safe, relaxing and refreshing break. 

The Delany community 

On Friday 4 September we celebrated our annual Multicultural Day (although delayed from Term 2).  The day wasn’t the same scope as previous years - we were missing our international food stalls and our army of parents who would volunteer, participate and spectate for and with staff and students. A further challenge on the day was the mid-morning heavy showers that swept through the grounds and forced the planned performances under cover.

What we did have, and in abundance, was the generous and supportive spirit of our students. There was a proud display of national dress and costumes, culminating in the international fashion parade. The highlight is always the performances of national dances by students. There was the raucous dancing of the Lebanese locals, the graceful dances and songs of the Pacific Islands, and the skillfully choreographed Filipino bamboo dancing - just to name a few. 

There was a committee of dedicated Year 12 students who did the bulk of the day’s organising. I won’t name individuals for fear of missing someone, but I extend the thanks of every member of the Delany community to these students who made the day a success.  The countdown now begins for the 2021 Multicultural Day!

The academic community 

The greatest challenge HSC students face each year is the time between the end of the Trial HSC exams and the beginning of the actual HSC. There is an understandable dip in urgency and energy.  The time between these exams is, however, the time to find and fix errors made during the trials, and lock in additional marks for the HSC exams. On top of this, Year 12 students face the prospect of finishing school and moving beyond the gates of the College to the “real world”. COVID-19 has made this more complex for the 2020 graduating class.

Parents - whether your child is in Year 12 or 7, I urge you to keep talking about their learning and classes. Just as importantly, keep checking in regarding their welfare.  Last week we acknowledged Year 12 students on R U OK day by providing lunch for them. Strong mental health is just as important and good physical health and will provide students with the resilience to get through, and succeed in, this stressful time of exams.  It can also be a great help to us parents as well!

The Patrician community

Br Paul O’Keefe is the Provincial (the Boss) of the Patrician Brothers in Australian and PNG. Mr Easton and I invited Br Paul to visit last Wednesday and address our College assembly and Year 12 students. It was one of the few school visits Br Paul has managed during the past six months, and he was very pleased to be here amongst staff and students. We look forward to a time when our Patrician brothers can resume their close contact with their College.

Term 4

Classes resume for Term 4 on Monday 12 October at 8:45am. Students’ classes conclude for this term at 3:05pm on  Wednesday 23 September.

When we return, students will wear the College summer uniform. The uniform shop is open on Tuesdays throughout the term.

St Patrick, pray for us.


Mr Anthony Blomfield

Assistant Principal

R U OK Day - Y12 Lunch

Multicultural Day

Covid Testing - Important Message

Can we please ask all parents & guardians, if your child has been tested for Covid-19 please make sure to send the test results back to school asap

Important Message

Can we please ask that all parents be mindful when picking up students not to park over anyone's driveways 


Thank you 

Delany College

Enrolments 2021

Pedagogical

Helping your child engage in their learning

You may have heard your child’s teachers talking about student engagement and its importance as a learning behaviour for students. Maybe you have read report comments something like this,

“{Insert child’s name here}, struggles to engage in class activities.” But what does student engagement mean?

From research conducted into impactful education there are three parts to engagement:

1. Cognitive: the extent to which a student is personally invested in, and takes ownership of, their learning.

2. Behavioural: the level of a student’s participation in all areas of their school including academic, social and extracurricular activities.

3. Emotional: the nature of a student’s relationship with learning, their teachers, and others in the learning environment, feeling included in their school, and having feelings of belonging to the school.

Engagement across these three dimensions may look very different for every student. Engagement varies in intensity and duration. It can be short term and situation specific or long term and stable. A student’s level of engagement is not a ‘fixed state’ and will respond to external factors such as their relationships and their own investment in their learning.

 

Engagement is not just an important factor in your child’s education but, is also impactful on their employment and future success. Research conducted into in a range of organisations across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors found that higher engagement levels in their employees, led to higher organisational and individual performance. Therefore, human resources managers focus on recruiting employees who have shown a strong pattern of engagement in their education, and previous jobs.

 

How can you encourage your child to engage in their learning?

One of the most positive predictors of student engagement is the extent to which their families encourage learning by demonstrating that education is important. You can do this through initiating conversations with your child at home, listening to what your child thinks, dreams, and worries about. You can also ask them what they are learning in their classes. You could also can help your child engage in their learning is to help them set learning goals and check-in with them and offer feedback on the steps needed to reach their goals. Lastly, connect with the Delany College community as much as possible. Use emails, texts, or the skoolbag app to up-to-date on upcoming events.


Mrs M Tully 

Teacher Learning Leader 

Religious Education

Year 12 Post HSC Trial Exams

Year 12 students will have received their Trial results for Studies of Religion I and Studies of Religion II, as well as their other subjects. For some this will be good news and for others there will be disappointment. What really matters is that they turn this into a learning experience and with teacher and parent support embark on a revision program in preparing for the final HSC Examination. Please encourage your sons and daughters to revise each night and to create a study plan for the approaching school holidays. It is important that they balance genuine study with exercise and healthy eating. With this in mind, we continue to pray for these young men and women who have had many challenges in a year which has been so different for all of us. 

Study strategies:

  • Continue to refine study notes using the syllabus outline for each topic.  Where the trial highlighted misconceptions or gaps in learning, add points on these areas

  • Most important: use past papers and write responses under timed conditions.

  • If you get overwhelmed, take a short break: get fresh air, breathe and remind yourself of how deeply God loves you - and that He is on the journey with you. See below for exam prayers from the Salesians of Don Bosco, Ireland.  

Remember that the HSC rewards effort. 


Margaret Bartley

Acting RE Leader , Curriculum

Prayer

Prayer for Preparation to Study

Lord, I know you are with me and love me.

Give me peace of mind as I prepare for this time of study.

Help me to focus on my books and notes,

keep me from all distractions so that I will make the best use

of this time that is available to me.

Give me insight that I might understand what I am studying ,

and help me to remember it when the time comes.

Above all, I thank you for the ability to be able to study

and for the many gifts and talents you have given me.

Help me always to use them in such a way

that they honour you and do justice to myself.

Amen


Prayer Before an Examination

Lord you are my friend and you are with me today and always.

You have blessed my life with many gifts and talents.

As the exams approach I feel nervous so I pray for your peace.

Calm my mind so that I can think clearly and write down what I know.

Help me to remember what I have learned and to do my best.

Lord your loving presence surrounds me.

Help me to trust that you will guide me.

Amen. 


Margaret Bartley 

Acting RE Leader, Curriculum. 

I Lek Yu

Australia 

Better Life 

Left the trouble behind 

Food on the table 

Left the gun life behind 

School 

Everyday I struggle 

New rules, early starts 

English with rules that tricked me 

My Sister 

Fed me when I was hungry and walked the road with me and gave her strength

We came all the way to the other side  of  the world together

She was my compass, True north.

Now my path is wider, and safer. 

I have a map and I'm on my way. 

I love working with wood 

It is solid and smooth.

Strong inside and out.

So am I

Me 


By John Koroma

12M3


On Behalf of Delany College

Thank you John

Year 11 Visual Arts

Year 11 students created a series of photos using H2O (water) -

as a solid, liquid or gas. 

as can be seen throughout the newsletter, examples of solids and liquids.


Mrs L Broue

Creative Emergence & Design Leader

2020 FEES

FEE RELIEF FOR FAMILIES FINANCIALLY AFFECTED BY COVID19


Fee relief is available to support families who are experiencing significant financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. There are three ways that parents/carers can apply for fee relief with the process made as simple as possible. Information is available via this link https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/Our-Schools/School-Fees/Fee-Relief

The page includes a list of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.  

We're here to help. 

If you have any difficulties or would like to discuss payment options,

please contact me on 8633 8107.


Margaret Hopley 

School Support Officer

Calm Spaces

Delany has a new addition to their learning areas, Calm spaces.

These breakout rooms are areas where students can go to help self- regulate and take some time out during class under teacher guidance. In the English learning area students can have access to the “Rainforest Room”, the Math’s Space has access to the “Underwater Room” and in the HSIE Space, the “Camping Room”.

Students will need to seek permission from their teacher to access the room.

Many students have been excited to work in these spaces and have appreciated the ambience they have created.


Mrs K Collimore 

Diversity Leader



Rainforest Room

Maths Matters

Learning In Focus

Science club news: 

This term three of our Year 10 students in Science club have been hard at work learning about the best paper plane designs and how to accurately launch a paper plane for long distance and longest flight time. Through trial and error and a lot of perseverance, in the last few days of the competition our students obtained valid entries for the competition in both the distance and airtime categories. In the distance category we came 7th place with a flight  of 22.4m.

However, we won the airtime category with a flight time of 11.07s and also achieved fourth and fifth place. Congratulations to Mohammad D for his winning entry and Chanel K and Simran K for their fantastic efforts. 

Science

The Science club members learnt about Esters last week under the guidance of Ms Hey. Esters are common in organic chemistry and biological materials, and often have a pleasant characteristic, fruity odour.

It is prepared by esterification, a reaction in which a carboxylic acid and an alcohol is heated in the presence of a mineral acid catalyst to produce an ester and water.  Esters can be used as a constituent of perfumes, essential oils, food flavourings, cosmetics etc.

Students thoroughly enjoyed this practical activity and were amazed by the different odours they were able to make.


Ms Grace Hey

Science Learning Leader

Premier's Reading Challenge


We have had a number of students participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge this year. This involves reading twenty books, some from a set list (which contains thousands of titles), and some that are a personal choice.

The purpose of the Challenge is to encourage students to read and to read widely. The Challenge closed on the August 28 and it is with much pleasure that we congratulate the following students for completing it:


Marc Bao-Idang

Annie Hara

Alexander Taktak

Alexandra Bao-Idang

Ysabella Bao-Idang

Jack Fitzpatrick

Stella Fitzpatrick

Luke Laoulach

Paul Laoulach

Sahajjot Singh

Sidney Taktak

Well done to all!


Mrs Lynette Perrett

Library Manager

Thursday Sport and Activities

Sport on a Thursday at Delany College has been a huge success!

In Term 4 students will be provided with even more opportunities to participate in some of the following sports or activities:-

Olympic Weight Lifting, Esports, Table Tennis, Basketball,

Touch Football, Dance, Self Defence, Futsal, Bootcamp & Tennis.

As a College we are extremely excited to offer sport and activities for our students and we have seen our attendance improve on a Thursday. The feedback from students and staff is very positive and the level of enjoyment and connection our students are experiencing is invaluable.


Miss N Herrera

Acting Sustainable Health Leader

Sustainable Health

A new program is being run this Term on Thursday Afternoons, Delany College students will be participating in AFL, Soccer, Tennis,

Oz Tag, Olympic Weightlifting, Boot camp, Martial Arts or Esports for six weeks. Most of these activities will be run by external providers with a vision to get active, competitive and/or social.

A huge thank you to the students for completing the electronic google form and the Delany College Staff for being so flexible, we look forward to providing more opportunities like this for our students. The Delany Fitness Club continues this term and is open of a morning and afternoon weekly, including a beginners session.

Thank you to the wonderful staff who willingly assist students.


Delany Fitness Club

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
7.45am Females7.45am Males7.45am Beginners
3.15pm Males4.00pm Males3.15pm Females

3.15pm Males

The PDHPE storeroom has been moved and this has provided staff and students with a new and improved facility that is close to all the sport facilities and amenities at the College.

We encourage all of our students to participate in PDHPE practical lessons and change into their sport uniforms at the start and end of the lesson.

During these difficult and challenging times it is important that our students remain as active as possible.


Miss N Herrera 

Acting Sustainable Health Leader

JBHiFi BYOD Portal Update


In the I.T department, we have been working closely with JBHiFi In delivering the most competitive prices and with some of the best products suitable for learning at Delany.

The new-look BYOD portal is packed with a range of devices and accessories that will cater for all needs and budgets. 

Other new features include extra warranties and accidental repair options when purchasing a device or accessories on the site home delivery with a small fee or a pickup option at the latest store. 

We highly recommend using this portal as it not only provides you with a discounted price as part of sending your child to Delany but also makes shopping for the right device less of a headache. 

Please find the link below to take you straight to the new site.

www.jbeducation.com.au/byod

 

In order to receive the discount, you’ll need to input the code 

DCBYOD  

Please have a read of the flyer attached that provides more information on ordering from the site. 


Mr C Simic

School Technical Support Officer

School Holiday fun

Rowing Information

Download

Updated Health Care Plans & Medical Information

If your child has any type of allergy or Asthma please make sure you have an updated Health Care Plan or Asthma Action Plan from your doctor.

Without this Health Care Plan the school can not provide the appropriate medical treatment should your child become ill. The school updates their Excursion Risk Assessments from the Health Care Plan you provide to the school.  

If your child takes medication on a regular basis the school will also need a letter from your local doctor or specialist indicating the medications taken, recommended dosage and time of the day this medication is consumed.

This is to ensure that should your child need to be treated by an ambulance or doctor in an emergency situation, the school can provide the relevant details.Please hand in all Health Care Plans to the Administration office and request that the plan be passed onto Mrs Collimore.

Mrs K Collimore
Diversity Leader

If Something happens to your child,

We need to be able to contact you.


Please make sure all details are update,

if your not sure please do not hesitate to contact our

wonderful ladies in our Administration 02 8633 8100

Important Information - Vaccinations

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Store Will re open at 8.00am on Tuesday 12th May

Pre ordered blazers will be available for collection from this date 

Uniform orders can also be placed  On Line via the Delany College Web Store

 

www.noone.com.au/school/delany-college/shop


Orders will be available for collection on the next trading day (Tuesday’s 8am – 2pm ) or for a small fee be delivered to your home address

 

We look forward to seeing you in term 2


Thank you 

Uniform Shop

Important Dates

Maths Olympiad Y 7 & 8Wednesday 16 September
 Last Day For StudentsWednesday 23 September
Classes Resume 8.45amMonday 12 October

Don't forget, you can use the SkoolBag App to add events directly to your phone's calendar! 

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.