Star of Peace

Recently I was involved in a discussion about racism in Australia and it made me stop and reflect on our own local context and how well we articulate and educate students about the various forms of racism. We do know that Australia has a culture of denial when it comes to racism. Denial of racism in Australia perpetuates racist behaviour.  Speaking up reduces racism by helping perpetrators understand that their views are in the minority, making them less likely to engage in prejudice and stereotyping behaviour. While the data is a little dated, in the 2015-2016 the Challenging Racism Project National Survey found  2 in 5 people living in Australia have been a target of verbal racial abuse and being treated less respectfully is the most common form of racism. Racial discrimination can occur either directly or indirectly and includes casual racism which refers to conduct involving negative stereotypes or prejudices about people on the basis of race, colour or ethnicity. Examples include jokes, off-handed comments, and exclusion of people from social situations on the basis of race.

Saint Marcellin Champagnat word’s “We must love them and love them all equally”. Applies not only to our staff in dealing with our young people, but to each of us both staff and students within our community. As a College and community we strive always to create a safe and inclusive school culture that fosters acceptance and respect for diversity. In doing so, we seek to deepen understanding and knowledge, promote the wellbeing of everyone and help everyone achieve their full potential. Our School is enriched by and celebrates the diversity of our whole school community, our Mission statement talks about relationships that are characterised by a mutuality of respect. Therefore as a College, as good Christians and Good Citizens we reject all forms of racist behaviour and we are committed to the elimination of racial discrimination (including direct and indirect racism, racial vilification and harassment) in our community, our curriculum and our learning and working environment. Our school is committed to ensuring that individuals and groups are not disadvantaged because of their race, culture, ethnicity, nationality or religious background. 

Often young people make jokes about others, even friends, sometimes about appearance or race, it is important that we identify this and remind them that this is not OK and despite it not being obvious, it is often hurtful and damaging especially over time.

As you expect and understand the College takes any form of harassment, discrimination, bullying or racism very seriously. If you have any concerns or complaints at any time please do not hesitate to contact the College immediately. 

This week, we conducted another first where we held the College Captain’s Speeches which are part of the leadership process via zoom. I was so proud of these students who have put their hands up to lead our student body through the remainder of an uncertain 2020 and hopefully into a more normal 2021. It was exciting to hear them talk about their vision in building on the wonderful Marist Culture and rich heritage that already exists in our College, and to hear them articulate what it truly means to serve. Our new leaders will be announced shortly and we will stream the Leadership Handover Ceremony for families.

A reminder that if you are having any financial hardships that are impacting on payment of school fees, please contact the College so that we can assist through this very challenging time.

I thank you for your continued support during the COVID -19 pandemic. Our additional care has resulted in less absenteeism due to the usual flu and cold season.

God Bless

Yours in Jesus, Mary and Saint Marcellin

Mrs Angela Hay

Principal

In response to the “Signs of the Times”, Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta is on the journey towards a hope-filled Draft New Curriculum for Religious Education. We were delighted with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA’s) recent endorsement of Stage 5 and 6 of the Curriculum.

There has recently been some media coverage about this new approach. Please find following a letter from Very Rev Christopher de Souza Vicar General Episcopal Vicar for Education and Formation. Also attached is a frequently asked questions document and a timeline outlining the process for developing the Draft New Curriculum.

We welcome the opportunity to work together as a Catholic community on this important initiative for children and young people in our schools. 

YEAR 12 RETURN FROM TRIALS!

We are so proud of you all!

Congratulations to our Year 12 students who return from their Trial HSC Examinations this week! These examinations provide an opportunity for each student to receive detailed feedback which can greatly assist their preparation for their final HSC Examinations. It is essential that students speak with their teachers and ask the very important question, “What can I do to improve upon my mark?”

Congratulations also to our HSC Drama class who completed their performances also during this very busy time.

A big thank you to Miss Hagarty and Mr Bonora for their care, planning support of our Year 12 students during this time.

YEAR 11 EXAMINATIONS

Our prayers and best wishes go out to our Year 11 students as they commence their examinations on Friday 11 September.

Examinations will be held in La Valla.

If a student is sick and cannot attend an examination, a medical certificate and a misadventure form is required. Madame Dunston must also be called in the morning of the missed exam. Miss Hagarty will then email the student and notify them of their rescheduled exam date. A reminder that in this COVID environment, seeing a doctor via Telehealth is always a viable option.

If you have a question regarding the Year 11 Examinations please email Miss Hagarty on shagarty@parra.catholic.edu.au

Thank you for your continued support.

Mr P. Finnerty

Assistant Principal

Innovation, Teaching and Learning

Just a reminder to families that the third School Fee Instalment Statement was recently issued by the Catholic Education Diocese Parramatta (CEDP) to provide an update to parents of what fees are owing.  

If any family is experiencing financial difficulty please do not hesitate to contact me confidentially to discuss options available to you. 

 If you are not experiencing any financial difficulties, there is the option of paying your fees in weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments. Please contact me at PATS-DNDSFees@parra.catholic.edu.au or 8841 7955 to work out a suitable payment arrangement.

 Ms Rolla Wadih

School Fee Administrator

We celebrate Social Justice Sunday on 30 August. This year, the Australian Bishops’ Social Justice Statement is titled: To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of many members of our parishes, schools and communities. Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support. The Bishops invite us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of our community.

Download the Statement at http://bit.ly/SocialJustice_2020.

At the time of writing, Year 12 have been doing their Trial Examinations. It is a stressful time but the students have dealt with things in a really encouraging way. This does not surprise me as they have shown so much maturity and resilience this year. There is a famous quote; “Smooth seas don’t make good sailors”  which certainly applies to our Year 12 students. They have had to adjust to remote learning, cope with ongoing speculation about the make-up of the HSC and the uncertainty regarding their final weeks of schooling. All of this would be playing on their minds but in time I hope they can look back at 2020 and be confident in the knowledge that they can deal with many of the challenges that life brings with it. 

Students resume normal "transmission" from Tuesday in Week 7. As always, we look forward to students being punctual to all lessons and meeting all normal College expectations. Not long to go. 

Finally, as you would all be aware, the ongoing concerns regarding coronavirus and government restrictions have made it difficult to know exactly how the last days of school will unfold for Year 12.  Our Year 12s and families are at the forefront of school planning and as soon as a decision is made, our Year 12 students will be notified about this. Rest assured, everything will be done to ensure our Year 12 students receive a fitting send off to their school years - we all know they deserve it for being such an outstanding Year Group. 

Mr David Bonora

Year 12 Pastoral Leader of Learning

Year 11 students have had a busy term so far. We are currently in the process of electing our student leaders for 2021 and the students who have elected to run for a School Captain position delivered a speech to the members of the  College Leadership Team and the Year 11 student cohort on Wednesday 26th, during their Pastoral Care lesson. Good luck to these students and congratulations on making it this far!

Well done to all the students who applied for a position of leadership. Whether or not they were elected, the caliber of students was very impressive and their applications were well thought out and beautifully written. 

I would also like to congratulate Marissa Browne and Toby Gott  (as well as their music teacher Mrs Andrews) on being chosen as two of eight students selected from across the Diocese to participate in the CAPTIVATE Singer/Songwriter Project. What a great achievement!

A reminder that Year 11 End of Course Examinations will take place from Friday, September 11th to Monday, September 21st. The examination timetable has been shared with the students. 

Finally, another reminder that students are required to wear their blazers to and from school until the end of Term 3.

If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me here at the College.

Mrs Cécile Dunston

Leader of Learning Pastoral - Year 11

Last week in Wellbeing lessons, Years 9 and 10 took part in a lesson based around happiness. Below are some reflections on the lesson from our students:

• Last Week, Year 10 participated in an activity featuring the “Happiest Man on Earth”; Eddie Jaku. Students learnt that Eddie Jaku was a Holocaust survivor, who found happiness in the simple things. Students were taught about the power of friendship, how to enjoy the simple moments and how they shouldn’t take anyone in their life for granted. When asked about what made them happy, students had a variety of answers, such as Family, Friends, Animals, Sport, Food, Health and more. Students were also taught that the two most important things in life were Good Health and Happiness, and how each individual finds happiness from many different things, and that happiness is different for everyone! Finally, students were also taught about the disastrous nature of hate, and how having hate is similar to having a disease, and how happiness should replace hate. Overall, students enjoyed the lesson and realised the importance of Happiness and Friendship in their lives, an important lesson in the wellbeing of individuals.

Aleksandr Zhigunov

10 Chavoin

• Eddie Jaku is truly the happiest man on earth, and we as a year group had the opportunity to listen to his heart-felt, touching and uplifting story which left many in tears. Inspiring is too small a word to describe Eddie’s profound impact he had left on others, hearing his traumatic experience of surviving the horrors of the Holocaust. Eddie Jaku is a man who has made many realise that happiness can blossom from the littlest things in life. It’s hard as an adolescent living in the comfort of today’s society, to even begin to comprehend how a human being has healed from such trauma and never let go of faith and hope along the way. Eddie has undoubtedly never left a heart untouched and is a moving reminder of the importance of happiness. After hearing his heartening story, Eddie has opened my heart and allowed me to count my many blessings I have around me each day as I wake up. I can assure you that it’s impossible for me to imagine a world without my family, and it’s ultimately heartbreaking knowing that Eddie has dealt with great loss at such a young age. As many of us feel the need to run away from our problems and be tempted to give up, it is utterly important to remember that there are others who have gone through worse. And as a growing society, it is a duty of ours to never forget the horrific events that have occurred in the past but to praise them as they are what have shaped our world today. Eddie has successfully fought through hell and has reached the end of the dark tunnel, referring to himself as The happiest man on earth. As I wake tomorrow, I will not be displeased, annoyed or irritated over accidentally spilling a glass of water, I will simply wipe it up and continue on my day being happy :)

Kayla Azar 

10 Chavoin

• At school we have multiple opportunities to learn how to fully appreciate life and get the most out of it, and last weeks PC lesson was just another example. We learnt about “Eddie Jaku”, who is deemed the happiest man on Earth through a TED talk video. Eddie’s early life was filled with sadness stemmed from the Holocaust and his family’s death but with the later arrival of his wife and first son he began to truly feel happiness. He spreads the message of walking beside others, not in front or behind as we should all be equal, and how hate does not only hurt your enemies, but also yourself. In the end the main purpose of his talk was how having people in your life who are fair to you and each other, as well as putting the past behind you is truly the key to a life of happiness. 

Peta Turner

9 Paul

Term 3 has been busy for Year 9 students as they are preparing for assessment tasks, have recommenced sport in and out of school, and many students have also begun part-time jobs which is an exciting change! While having a busy schedule can be stressful, it can also promote the development of time management skills. All Year 9 students are reminded and encouraged to take time to relax at home and ensure they are integrating positive wellbeing strategies to ensure a healthy balance. This could be spending time outside, going for walks, trying new hobbies, etc. 

At the beginning of this term, Year 9 students gathered to recognise Semester One academic achievement and growth. While this was different to usual ceremonies, it was a great opportunity to celebrate the commitment that Year 9 students have shown to learning during this challenging time. I would like to congratulate all students who received an award, especially those who received an award for the first time. This demonstrates that students can always seek to meet new goals, and find personal development and growth at school.

The Year 9 Junior School Leaders have been meeting and working together to discuss how they can promote positive change at St Patrick's Marist. One of our first meetings involved looking at Catholic Earthcare Australia, an ecological agency established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Its mission is to promote understanding among people that the environment is sacred and endangered, and must be protected and preserved for present and future generations. Catholic Earthcare is working towards including schools in their mission so young people can feel empowered and involved in leading change. 

Here is a reflection from Eva Galati (9P) based on the Junior Leader’s meeting on this: 

A couple of weeks ago, the Year 9 Junior Leadership team got together to do an environment survey and reflection about St Patrick's Marist. The survey included questions about multiple aspects of the school’s environment such as transport to and from school, recycling and waste management, with the questions awarding us points according to how sustainable our school was. We grouped into pairs and answered the questions one section at a time and then talked afterwards about why we answered the way we did and brainstormed ideas about changes that could be made. It was very enjoyable to discuss everybody’s answers and find the similarities between our ideas on how we could improve different areas of the school, as well as learn about the varied experiences that we all had and how those events affected our answers which provided new insight to our answers. I think that it was a very helpful starting point to see what good we can do in the school for the future as it pinpointed the specific spaces that may need more attention than others. Going into the future, the survey will be a very helpful control to where we started and I know the other leaders will agree with me in saying that we are very excited about continuing to look for new ways to enhance our schooling experience.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact me at any time 

(cbasha@parra.catholic.edu.au)

Miss C. Basha

Leader of Learning Pastoral - Year 9

As expressed earlier this year our focus for Year 7 is the 3 R’s - Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. We are a community that promotes having strong minds and gentle hearts. It is important as families of our community we have your constant support in helping us to encourage our students to be creative and allowing themselves to be challenged by the work they do and that we treat others how we would want to be treated and avoid gossiping. We need to instill in our students to live the Marist way and remember our 5 core values - presence, simplicity, family spirit, love of work and in the way of Mary.

This week in wellbeing we had Lisa completing our second session of Sleep Connection with our students. The students were fantastic at keeping their sleep diary and very honest. However, I was a little concerned as we collated some of the results. Some students admitted that they generally have between 4 to 11 hours sleep. It is really important that you continue talking to our students about their sleep habits. Many said they wake up during the night and are unable to fall back to sleep so they are on their technology. One of the main points that came from our activities on sleep is that no technology should be in their room at night, students should either be woken by someone or have an alarm clock for the morning. They should also be having some down time before they go to bed and be off their device an hour before they are meant to be asleep. These simple habits can help improve their general wellbeing, relationships and their academic performance as it improves concentration.

Year 7 has been great with their uniform and wearing it with pride, a reminder that all students must wear their blazer to and from school. On sports days, Students may wear their College jumper but only under their College sport jacket.

Just a reminder that all students are to be at school by 8:40am. According to the College diary, FOUR unexplained late arrivals in a term is a Wednesday afternoon detention.

I have posted on our google classroom the dates for all assessment tasks due this term, please ensure your child looks at their google classroom every evening. It is important that all students check their emails twice a day, in the morning and evening, as well as their google classroom. Just a reminder that Keeping Track is still on every Wednesday in the library from 3:30pm to 4:30pm for students to complete their tasks and for extra support. Our leaders are always there to mentor our juniors in all subjects.

If you have any concerns or questions please contact me at any time.

Mrs N. Padden

Pastoral Leader of Learning - Year 7

VIRTUAL REALITY TRAINING 

Teachers in the Learning Enrichment Centre have been exploring how virtual reality technology could be utilised as an effective educational tool.

YEAR 12 WORK READINESS PROGRAM

Over recent weeks two of our Year 12 students have had the opportunity to extend their work readiness skills in anticipation of their graduation at the end of Term 3. Departments across the school provided opportunities such as creating a horizontal vegetable garden that should provide sustainable goods for the Hospitality department.  Our resident Barista, Bernhard showcased his coffee making skills for some very grateful teachers. Andy supported Bernhard with his high level customer service skills requiring him to take coffee orders and then deliver these beverages to their happy recipients. Both students also had the opportunity to complete their resumes, explore setting up a bank account as well as moving forward with getting their driver's license or booking a driving lesson. Special thanks to Mrs Greenlees and Mrs Markarian for their work in supporting these opportunities.

DISABILITY PROVISIONS - YEAR 12 HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE 2021

Disability provisions in the HSC are practical arrangements designed to help students who could not otherwise make a fair attempt to show what they know in an exam room. The provisions granted are solely determined by how the student’s exam performance is affected. It is not embarrassing to apply for provisions, and more than 7000 HSC students apply for provisions each year. Provisions help students to show the markers what they know and can do. Schools are responsible for determining and approving adjustments for all school-based assessment tasks. NESA determines disability provisions for the Higher School Certificate examinations. To apply for provisions, schools must submit an online application to NESA. This application tells us which provision/s a student is requesting and includes recent evidence. Evidence may include medical reports, reading results, spelling results, writing samples and teacher comments. 

These are some great online CAREER resources that can be used:

• National Careers Institute  https://nci.dese.gov.au/
• Course seeker about uni courses, comparison, pathways https://www.courseseeker.edu.au/
• Job start https://www.jobjumpstart.gov.au/
• TAFE jump online for the latest courses https://www.tafensw.edu.au/

These are some great WELLBEING online resources:

• Black dog institute https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
• Head space https://headspace.org.au/
• Beyond blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
• Reach out youth https://au.reachout.com/
• Raising children.net.au https://raisingchildren.net.au/

For our Year 12 students from NESA:

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/covid-19/coronavirus-advice/hsc/student-wellbeing

Mrs C. Thomson

Leader of Learning - Diversity

During Term 3, Year 8 French studied how to talk about their family, how to physically describe people, as well as describe their personalities, and how to describe their house in French. One activity that everyone enjoyed was when we created our ‘dream house’ and were required to design our dream house and label all the rooms in French. Many different programs were used across Year 8 to ensure that our houses looked AMAZING! 

We also practiced writing, spelling, and reading comprehension skills in order to describe our personal lives. While studying this, we have learnt a lot of new vocabulary such as the language for personality traits, physical descriptions, rooms of the house, family members, pets, and everyday language, all in French.

Joshua Khoury, Year 8 French

Here are some creative examples of French work below:

Mrs C. Dunston

Leader of Learning - Languages

The City of Parramatta is commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day, which took place on Saturday, 15 August. Council has created a unique VP Day Online experience where the community can discover and explore a range of historical articles, artefacts, profiles, and local stories. Access the VP Day Online Experience, as well as other ways you can recognise the day here: https://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/vp  

Mrs D. O'Neill

Leader of Learning - HSIE

YEAR 11 SENIOR FIRST AID COURSE

On Monday August 24th, Year 11 PDHPE students participated in a Senior First Aid Course with the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. On this day, students learned about the key principles of First Aid, including how to deal with emergency medical situations and how to manage medical conditions and episodes such as asthma, epileptic seizures and anaphylaxis. The students also practically engaged in how to perform CPR on a casualty, as well as the bandaging and management of different injuries. All students who participated on the day had a wonderful experience and were successful in obtaining their Senior First Aid Certificate. Furthermore, the day provides additional context and understanding for students who study the Preliminary PDHPE Course, as First Aid is one of the options explored by the cohort. Well done to all students on their hard work during the course.

Mr A. Gray 

Leader of Learning -  PDHPE

PDHPE students are currently working on the Unit: Personal Safety and were recently required to individually write a Newsletter Article to be published in our School Newsletter, as a Benchmark, in preparation for their final product, Task 3, N.R.M.A. and Royal Life Saving Australia have joined forces to confront a very real problem Australia is facing. Too many people are getting injured or dying on the road and in the water. As young citizens you are challenged to reverse these trends. The Newsletter Article was titled: "Dangers in the water and on the road’.  The article was aimed at adolescents and was required to include:

●  Recent statistics on Australian water and road injuries and deaths.

●  Influences on adolescent risk-taking.

●  Encourage positive choices in relating to adolescent risk-taking. 

The following students submitted exceptional articles for their Benchmark submission:

• Nadia La Macchia
• Gordon Boulous

Ms W Curry

PDHPE Teacher

This semester our Year 7 and 8 Technology classes are studying one of the following units of work;  ‘You CAM Do It’ or ‘Urban Living: Tiny Homes’.

In Year 11 Hospitality, we have been given the opportunity to learn and showcase our culinary talents. Throughout the preliminary course, we have been able to practice our safety and hygiene skills in a commercial kitchen environment and make evident our knowledge of the hospitality industry as well as related legislation. 

Over the past three terms, we have completed three learning modules on safe and hygienic workplaces, kitchen skills, and the hospitality industry. As a class, we worked through these modules to be able to have a strong understanding of the content, allowing us to succeed in this course. 

The practical cooking tasks were the most enjoyable part. As a class or in small groups, we worked together to create dishes as a part of our modules. During these practicals, we learnt different ways to prepare, cook, or cut foods. After completing every task we would then be asked to present our dish and take photos as a part of the course. Some of the dishes we were able to make include: club sandwiches, french toast, focaccia paninis, butter chicken, and big breakfast. These practicals allowed us to put into practice the knowledge we had obtained from each module and express individuality with our presentation and methods of cooking. We were given the opportunity to share our prior cooking skills and work in a team environment. 

Our Hospitality Preliminary Course examinations are approaching and we are confident that we have been provided with the resources and knowledge to perform to a high standard. We are looking forward to beginning the HSC course of Hospitality, and (hopefully) attending ‘Coffee School’ to proficiently achieve our competencies!

Katrina Rigby and Rachel Ferguson 
Year 11 Hospitality

During one of our hospitality practical lessons we made a Big Breakfast. This consisted of toast, bacon, avocado, a poached egg, and hash browns. I thoroughly enjoyed this practical and had a lot of fun preparing and cooking something that I usually order!!!”

Anastasia Antoniou
Year 11 Hospitality

We had some apples leftover from a previous practical so we made some apple pies in the K-Mart pie maker in eight minutes.  Such a great way to make cafe food in a short period of time and we used up food that could have gone to waste!

Sarah Moreno- Herzig
Year 11 Hospitality

On Monday 10th August 2020, the two Year 12 VET Hospitality classes undertook the large job of preparing, cooking and serving a range of food and beverages to the staff of the college to complete their service period competencies for the completion of the course. They used their knowledge of Preparing and Serving Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Prepare and Serve Sandwiches, and Simple Dishes to create a delicious array of foods that were enjoyed by all the staff. 

Before the day, the staff were given the opportunity to order a selection of non-alcoholic beverages to be custom served on the day. Ginger Lime Fizz, Beachcomber and Espresso Martini were the beverages of choice. As for the food, the students were able to work as a team and make Chicken Tandoori Sliders, Falafel Sliders, a selection of tea sandwiches with various fillings and for a sweet finish, Chocolate Raspberry Brownies dusted with icing sugar. 

The hard work that they put in on the day and throughout the two years that they have been undertaking this course has now come to fruition. We would like to thank the students for all their hard work and the dedication that is required for a VET course and to the parents who have supported their children over the last 2 years. We are all so proud of the wonderful Marist men and women they have become and we wish them the best of luck with HSC exams! 

Miss. K Tripodi, Ms. D Kasmer and Mr. T Dickinson 

VET Hospitality Team

Term 3 has been exciting for Year 11 Construction. Students have been designing and constructing personalised dog houses. They have been learning carpentry skills and are applying these skills within their assessment. Students are currently framing up their projects which includes wall frames, windows, doors and a roof. Once the frames are complete, students will then sheet the outside and install the colorbond for the roof. Year 11 have been working diligently so that they can finish their projects before Summer comes, so that their dogs have a nice new home! 

Mr T. Dickinson

Leader of Learning I Vocational Education and Training