Delany College - Granville

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This Sunday, 29 November, marks the beginning of Advent. This is an important time in our Catholic tradition as it marks the coming of Christmas. Advent extends over the four Sundays before Christmas and is a period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ. It is rich with symbols and traditions with our churches and priests adorned in purple, the lighting of the Advent wreath, and commitment to prayer and for some, a period of fasting or of ‘giving something up’.   

At the College, the preparation for Christmas is marked in numerous ways. Most significantly we prepare by keeping in our hearts and minds those that have less. This is the focus of our Vinnies Christmas Appeal and while our College has a tradition of giving generously, I ask that we do our very best this year over the next few weeks to support the collection of goods to support those in our community adversely affected by COVID-19. A detailed list of what you can contribute to assist is contained later in this newsletter.

As we prepare for the end of the year, and set our focus on learning for students in 2021, for each and every student, every lesson from today until the end of the year is important. Learning and opportunities for your child to grow and improve does not resolve around exams or formal assessments.

Each class provides experiences for your child to gain new knowledge or further develop their skills. It is important that as partners in your child’s education we ensure that we make the use of every opportunity for learning and that your child attends every day up until the end of the year.   

Last week we celebrated our final farewells to the 2020 Year 12 cohort, the class of 2020, at their formal held at the Waterview at Sydney Olympic Park. For the last time, the seniors of 2020 came together to enjoy and celebrate their uniqueness as Delany College students and the journey they have shared together. It was great to see and share their happiness. We will miss them but know this is the beginning of another exciting journey for them. 

God Bless.  

Mr Paul Easton

Principal

Look ahead, make plans, set goals.

Our Year 7 to Year 10 Delany students have completed their final assessment tasks. With the Christmas holidays approaching quickly, some of these same students are now finding it difficult to stay motivated in class. It is important for our Delany learners to understand that the goal of learning is not examination results, but rather developing skills for life. Therefore, instead of focusing on the end of the year, and the holidays, it would be beneficial for our learners to focus on improving their achievement for 2021. The following points provide insight into how our Delany learners can improve for 2021.

1. Adopt a positive mental attitude                                                 

Learners need to be positive about results if they are to stand a chance of improving. They should acknowledge where their grades are now. Then ask themselves what they are aiming for? Mentally take control of their results: instead of thinking, “I’m a failure”, think, “I can and will do better than this.” Then they should write down the steps they need to take towards achieving the improvement they want to see.

2. Work out where you’re falling short   

Responsible learners need to work out which areas need targeting so it is important to figure out the areas in which they are underperforming, and why. Are their grades consistently lower than they would like them to be across all subjects, or is there one particular area? It is also helpful to think about the reasons why they are not performing to their full potential. Are they struggling with any particular skills such as essay writing? And are they studying in a way that works for them?

3. Talk to your teachers                                                                        

Our teachers have worked with their students throughout the year, so it is worth talking to them when students are creating a plan of action for improving their grades. Our Delany Learners could ask their teachers where they need to improve, and the teachers would probably have some advice on how a student can improve.

4. Pay more attention in class – and ask questions                                 

If students are prone to daydreaming in class, it’s time to start focusing on the here and now. Active learners listen to what the teacher is saying rather than talking with friends or fidgeting with their devices. An active learner does not simply copy down what’s on the board without thinking about it; students could improve by making sure they have understood notes they have made, and to ask questions if there’s something they do not understand.

5. Stop procrastinating                                                                          

One of the reasons why students underperform is due to them spending too much time procrastinating – that is, putting off work by distracting themselves with other things, such as social media. This is a common response to a big workload; when students have a number of tasks to complete, the temptation is simply not to start. The problem is that in doing so, they are delaying the inevitable, as well as making their task worse by eating into the time when they should be productive.

Ms M Tully

Teacher Learning Leader

Last week Year 12 2021 students attended their senior retreat. On Monday 16 November students head to Cockatoo Island to delve into the theme 'How Do I Unplug?'. The day allowed students  to share their opinions on key topics, explore the notions of masculinity and femininity and consider their support network and value system.

The day ended with a final liturgy in unpacking the Emmaus story in the convict tunnels of Cockatoo Island. On Tuesday 17 November, students went to The Granville Centre and ' Connected back with Christ".  Students had the opportunity to consider who God is to them, share testimonies and consider their Vocational Call. Most importantly, students were able to reconcile with each other and participate in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion with a Mass for the grade. We finished the day with a dinner where students were able to read affirmations written by their peers.

The retreat was a wonderful experience for our students. Thank you to Mr Blomfield, Miss Guillaume, Ms Bartley, Miss Whitfield, Mr Casey and Mr Peronace for their sharing and facilitation of the day.

At the college, the St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal has had a wonderful response amongst students. All mentor groups have been allocated their baskets and students have begun to bring in items for these hampers.

Please remember that each of the baskets are allocated to a specific family. It would be a wonderful gesture of Christmas spirit for there to be gifts as well as food items across the baskets. Please find below a list of items which can be brought in to support this appeal.

God Bless,

Mrs Karina Stow

Religious Education Coordinator

The Year 12 Modern History class have spent the term studying why the brilliantly creative and democratic Weimar Republic collapsed in a welter of racism, violence and terror with the rise in Germany of Hitler and his Nazi Party in 1933.

Having discussed at length the necessary precondition of democracy for a truly creative society that embraces inclusion and pluralism, we tested the theory through a day of exploring Modernism and Art at the NSW Art Gallery, the Mitchell Library and the MCA. Our intrepid modernist scholars traversed the city comparing themes of the C20th and C21st as they have been played out in Europe and Australia. It was a day of sunshine, fine art and thoughtful discussion.

The Delany Modern Historians gave up what would otherwise have been a free day for them, to explore the power of worthy ideas expressed in art. They were receptive and insightful company. They well deserved the culminating lunch enjoying the view over the harbour from the MCA terrace. I hope this is an excursion that can be repeated by Delany Modern History classes of the future.

Ms J Lee

Teacher

Fee relief is available to support families who are experiencing significant financial hardship or 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 so please contact us if you require assistance in relation to fees.

If you have any difficulties or would like to discuss payment options, please contact me on 8633 8107.

Margaret Hopley 

School Support Officer

HSC Year 12 Body of Work development day - 25 November

2020 / 2021's HSC Visual Arts students have started developing their Body of Works with the assistance of Johnny Romeo our Artist in Residence. Students began developing their ideas with a view to making solid progress over the summer holidays.

Works ranged from sculpture, painting and drawing to installation pieces.

Mrs Louise Broue

Creative Emergence & Design Leader

Thank you to the wonderful staff who willingly assist students.

Delany Fitness Club opening & closing times:

Requirements for Delany Fitness Club:

-You must bring a Towel

-You are required to wear gloves

-Please ensure you have a water bottle

-Appropriate clothing is to be worn, preferably sport uniform

-Enclosed Shoes

-Appropriate music is to be played

-You must fill in a pre screening form and participant induction and waiver form

-You are required to sign into the fitness club on arrival and upon leaving

-You must return all equipment to the appropriate spot.

-Please wipe down equipment after use.

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

Miss N Herrera 

Acting Sustainable Health 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

The Uniform Store every Tuesday.

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

Thank you 

Uniform Shop

School travel application endorsements

It is not uncommon for applicants completing the online form to make mistakes, particularly entering their name or date of birth instead of the students. This may be due to an auto-fill function on a device or just human error. We ask that school administrators be cautious of this and do not endorse applications with incorrect information.

If you are aware of or see an obvious error, you can amend the first name, date of birth or grade of a student’s travel application by clicking in the relevant row on the portal. Please ensure you have confirmed the information before making any changes. Refer to page 16 of the School Portal User Guide for further instructions. The latest version of the user guide is accessible within the School Portal by clicking the arrow next to your username.

If a student’s details cannot be confirmed or they are not yet enrolled, please do not endorse the application. By selecting ‘no’ the application will be rejected and the applicant will be informed. They will then need to submit a new application.

In the event that school administrators endorse an application in error, it would be appreciated if you could advise our SSTS team as soon as possible so the application can be intercepted before an Opal card or travel pass is issued.

To contact us about an endorsement error, please go to: https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback and select feedback about: ‘school student transport scheme’ and then select ‘application updates’.

If school administrators require access to the School Portal, please request an account at https://appln.transport.nsw.gov.au/portal/requests/account/school

If you have staff that have left the school recently and had access to the school portal, please let us know at https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback and select ‘school/operator portal’ and then ‘remove existing user access’ so their access can be removed.

New Concession Entitlement Cards

You can now order the new Transport Concession Entitlement Cards (TCEC) through the Transport for NSW School Portal.

The Transport Concession Entitlement Card will replace the following cards:

·       Senior Secondary Student Concession Card (16 years and over) – also used by Mature Secondary Students (18 years and over), Distance Education Students and Home School Students

·       Proof of Age card (when a student under 16 years of age looks older)

·       Boarder Rail Pass.

Refer to the information pack provided by email on 21 September 2020 for guidance and frequently asked questions. If you have any issues please contact us.