St Agnes Catholic High Rooty Hill Newsletter

Term Three : Issue 2 | 30 August 2019

From the Principal

The term is well underway with many students focussed on assessments and in the case of Year 11, preparing for their exams. This is a busy time but the key is organisation and commitment. I would encourage parents to talk with their children about upcoming tasks, ensure time is set aside to focus on learning and you are reminded that the Learning Advisers and teachers are always happy to provide assistance.

Preparations and subject selections for Year 11 2020  are nearing finalisation.  This is an exciting time for St Agnes as we begin our next phase as a 7-12 school from Term 4. My gratitude to Mr Kemmis and Mr Hilder for their leadership of this process.

Congratulations to our PDSSSC Dance group who were extremely successful in last weeks Dance Competition achieving first place in the Cultural and Junior Solo (Chloe Watson) performances! 

Today is the Zone Athletics Carnival – wishing all our competitors the very best for this meet. 

It was wonderful to meet with some of our fathers and father figures this morning.  As we celebrate Fathers Day on Sunday we pray:

Heavenly Father ,

You entrusted your son Jesus, the child of Mary,

to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.

Bless all fathers and male care givers

as they care for their families.

Give them strength and wisdom,

tenderness and patience;

support them in the work that they have to do,

protecting those who look to them,

as we look to you for love and salvation,

though Jesus Christ our rock and defender.

St Francis and St Agnes

Pray for them.

Lisa-Maree Browning

Principal


3-4 September Commerce Stalls

11 - 20 September - Year 11 Exam Block

13 September - Brainstorm Year 10

16 September - PDSSSC Girls Basketball Gala Day

17 September Yr 8 Music Incursion Ukelele

23-27 September - Year 11 Construction, Business Services and IDT Work Placement

25 September Feast of St Francis, Year 7 Visual Art Incursion

26 September Staff Professional Learning day - NO STUDENTS

27 September Staff Spirituality Day, last day of Term 3 - NO STUDENTS

14 October TERM 4 Commences

14-18 October - VET Work Placement

15 October - Year 12 Assessment Information Evening 5:30pm

30 October  Year 9 Ten Pin Bowling visit

31 October - PASS Bline Cables Excursion

1 November - Year 9 Aline Ten Pin Bowling visit

11-15 November 7-9 Assessment Block

12 November Year 7 Vaccinations

18 November Year 7/2020 Orientation Day

22 November Aline Swim School, PASS Aline Cables Excursion, Year 10 Community Day, Year 10B1/B2 Gym visit


From the Assistant Principal

Anxiety in Children

Anxiety is a normal and natural response that occurs when an individual perceives a threat, danger or negative outcome or event. It is common and normal for children to feel anxious or fearful about a variety of different things during their development. After all, children are confronted with all sorts of new experiences and challenges as they grow up and learn about the world around them. In most cases these fears are temporary and do not significantly interfere with a child’s academic, social or family life.

Some common fears and anxieties of different childhood developmental stages are:

·       7mth - Toddler: fear of strangers, separation, loud noises, animals, large machines such as the vacuum cleaner or lawn mower.

·       Toddler to Middle Childhood: fear of animals/insects, the dark, separation from parents, supernatural beings such as monsters, thunder and lightning, sleeping alone, ‘bad’ people

·       Middle Childhood to Late Childhood: supernatural beings, the dark, bodily injury, heights, getting lost or trapped, burglars, doctors/dentists, death and dying

·       Late Childhood to Early Adolescence: fears revolve around social or evaluative situations, e.g. being teased or rejected by peers, being embarrassed, dating, giving oral reports, taking tests, fear of death or physical injury.

For some children, fears and anxieties can have a significant impact on the way they perform at school, on their ability to make or maintain friends, and on their family life. Children who experience significant difficulties with anxiety can generally be described in the following ways:

• They are often well behaved and tend not to bother anyone

• They dislike trying new things

• They tend to dislike change or taking risks

• They have a tendency to highlight the negative consequences of any situation, e.g., “all the kids will hate me”, “mum and dad will have an accident and die”

• They avoid situations or objects they fear, e.g., a child with social anxiety will avoid attending parties or participating in groups

• Physical complaints are common. Because some children don’t know to describe their anxiety, they may express it via physical symptoms such as feeling sick, having a lump in their throat, or sore shoulders from muscle tension.

How do I know if a child needs professional help for their anxiety?

Generally, professional assistance should be sought if a child’s anxiety is causing them significant distress, if it is not age appropriate, and/or if it is interfering in their academic, social or family life. Listed below are the indicators for problematic anxiety.

Interference: Anxiety becomes problematic when it significantly interferes in the daily activities of the child, and/or their family. Children may experience anxiety about a wide range of factors and events that prevents them from participating in various activities. For example, a child may be unable to complete classroom tasks due to their anxiety, be avoiding various class activities, and frequently missing class due to sickness complaints.

Age appropriateness: If other children are displaying the same sorts of behaviour, then it is likely that the anxiety is appropriate. For example, children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years often show distress upon separation from their parents. However, children of 10 years of age usually do not become distressed when separating from parents.

Distress: Children with problematic anxiety experience high levels of distress due to anxiety. Question to consider: Is the child becoming very upset when faced with their fear? Are they enduring fearful activities with a high level of distress?

Length of time: Duration of a child’s anxiety is important to consider. Have they been displaying anxious behaviour for quite some time, and which has remained reasonably constant? For example, if your child was anxious for 1 week whilst away at camp but has been fine ever since, it’s unlikely that they would require further assistance. However, if the anxiety has continued for several weeks to 6 months, depending on the form of anxiety, and has remained reasonably constant, it may be an indication that your child is experiencing an anxiety disorder.

If your child has anxiety that meets the above criteria, you need to talk to Ms Meade head of Wellbeing and Diversity or Ms Penna, Learning Support who may refer on to the School Counsellor.

 Advice sourced from Small Steps - Strategies to Support Anxious Children in the Classroom WayAhead.org.au

Ken Wolffe

Assistant Principal

From the Head of Mission

The mission of St Agnes is that every person encounters Christ and becomes a witness to His love and compassion. An important element of our mission as a school is to also build leaders that reflect the person of Christ who actively engages in the community and deeply upholds the dignity of the human person.

The annual Education Mass that occurred at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday 13th August was a wonderful opportunity for our students Anthony Gagliardi (Year 11), Stephanie Derjani (Year 10), Bianca Fragomelli (Year 10) and Rita El-Ghossein (Year 9) with Mr Sadsad to represent St Agnes and engage with how other Catholic schools have contributed to the mission of the Church. We met Mrs Claire Thomas, the School and Community Engagement Manager of Jesuit Social Services who inspired us to work more closely with JSS and the Ignite Food Store. It is with great delight that we have now included Jesuit Social Services as an organisation we will support in the near future.

An inspiration from last year’s Education Mass has been put into action by Mrs Chapman this year who began Squares For Service. Over the past few months, students and teachers have taken out the knitting needles and crochet hooks, retrained on the sewing machines to be a part of such a wonderful project that not only will be given to those in need, but has also been an avenue for learning new skills and getting to know new people.

Mrs Chapman shares, “Thank you to all of those members of staff who have supported our formation goal this year in offering service to those who are in need. We have over 200 squares that have been knitted/crocheted which are being assembled to make blankets.  This project will run indefinitely, so please keep knitting/crocheting if you wish. To those who have kindly taken sewing kits to make dresses - thank you.  I will mail these at the end of this term. Students have prepared these kits and some have completed their first dress!”. To every student involved and the teachers who have contributed squares, you are all an inspiration of service.

A special thank you goes to Mrs Chapman for saying ‘Yes’ to what was once only an idea to now what is a small way to respond to God’s call to serve others.

We may know and learn about the many ways we can help our community, but it can often stay as a brilliant idea and a practical solution is not always achieved at the time. What turns an idea into action is a simple ‘Yes’, and our Mother Mary is the perfect example of this. We are so fortunate as a school community to have the constant support of our local priests as we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary during our weekly Morning Mass.

Fr Pat Mullins SJ brings such joy to our Mass and reminded us that what we can learn from Mary is that she committed to her ‘Yes’ to God not only when it was easy but most especially when she was challenged as a mother, as we too are called to the same commitment to follow Christ wherever He leads us.

A very big thank you goes to Ms Juarez, Ms Pauperis, and the St Agnes choir and band for bringing music into our eucharistic celebration as they beautifully sang. Gentle Woman and the Magnificat (in the rhythm of Amazing Grace). You can hear it on our facebook page slideshow. 


Mother Mary is a pillar in St Francis' prayer life and so in that spirit, may we take on her commitment to do God's work, always with great faith, trust and joy.

Our ACYF Fundraising initiatives are well under way as we continue to find opportunities throughout the year to support Bianca Fragomelli (Year 10), Kyra Barcelon (Year 9) and Sianne Dimarucut (Year 9) journey to ACYF Perth in December this year. Last Thursday we hosted our very first Movie Night held in the Chappotin building where 100 students watched Avengers: Endgame. Thank you to Ms Raad and Mr Sadsad for the generosity of your time to support all things service as you are both a testament of faith in action to our community.


During this time of the year, St Agnes also introduce our annual Winter Appeal for St Vincent De Paul. This year the Social Justice and Catholic Identity Portfolio leaders have launched “Socks for the Sole”, a response to the basic needs of our community members. Over the next 4 weeks, homerooms will be collecting as many brand new pairs of socks to participate in a competition at the end of Week 9 to see which homeroom can create the longest sock trail! On behalf of St Agnes, I’d like to extend this invitation of joining us in this sock drive and all donations can be given to the front office.

Alongside the sock drive, the Portfolio leaders have also come up with a soup drive called “Souper Bowl Fridays”, where hot soup and bread is being served every Friday at Recess. Last Friday, 23rd August was the first Souper Bowl and we sold 50 cups of soup in 30 minutes. Thank you for your support to our Winter Appeal as we work together to raise as much as we can so Vinnies can continue to do the wonderful work that they do for our community.

St Agnes are also advocates for the work of World Vision and the 40 hour famine through the annual Backpack Challenge. I encourage our students to take this opportunity to be educated on the crisis of social displacement caused by the wars through this experiential way of learning. This video titled "What would you take?" is a short 1:48 min video that powerfully compares two families that challenges us to think about what is really valuable in our lives when all is lost?

Thank you to the students who have already committed to the Backpack Challenge for 2019!

All the best, St Agnes!

In the Religion classroom, Year 8 have begun their first Project Based Learning project on the unit Reconciliation. The driving question is “How can we as marketers create a promotional campaign to inform students of St Agnes about and encourage the practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation?”. To introduce this project and due to the nature of the topic, all Year 8 classes began this unit with a class liturgy on reconciliation.

Students were given the time to reflect and really think about their relationship with God and the need for forgiveness and healing in our lives. I’m excited to share the learning journey of Year 8 with you as they work towards creating a promotional campaign that can encourage us all to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation offered at our school every Friday.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, planting the seeds of leadership and discipleship is something very important to our mission as a school. This week, Year 11 students Adot Akok, Rhiannon Soans and Natalie Salloum attended the Extra ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist training at the Diocesan Assembly Centre in Blacktown along with other high schools in the diocese. Read their reflections of the day:

I wanted to become a Eucharistic Minister because I want to further deepen my relationship with God and become actively involved in the church. The Eucharistic Minister training strengthened my understanding of the Eucharist and allowed us all to discover more about our faith and the importance of receiving the Eucharist into our lives.

(Rhiannon Soans)

I chose to become a Eucharistic Minister because I wanted to get more involved with the church and develop a more in depth understanding of the Eucharist. During the training day I learnt that the Communion isn’t just bread and wine, but it has actually turned into the Body and Blood of Christ which nourishes us not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. 

(Adut Akok)

The reason I wanted to become a Eucharistic Minister was because I wanted an opportunity to connect on a more personal level with the members of my Parish as well as the opportunity to be privileged enough to be able to distribute the Body and Blood of Christ during mass. The training was enriching and allowed me to further appreciate the gift of God in the Eucharist. 

(Natalie Salloum)

“Let us ask him then that this Sacrament continue to keep his presence alive in the Church and to shape our community in charity and compassion, according to the Father’s heart.” (5 Feb 2014 Vatican City).

Pace e bene,

Mary Reyes

From the Head of Learning

We have crossed the half-way mark of Term 3 and there has been significant learning across all classrooms in the school. 

Our current Year 10 students have been involved in Subject Selection for their Stage 6 pattern of study. The students were individually spoken to by either a member of the School Executive or a Leader of Learning. Thank you to the parents who accepted the offer from the school to be a part of this conversation. By all accounts, this process went very well and the students felt affirmed with their choices. We are now finalising the subjects and will officially communicate to each student and their family about the choices made for Year 11 2020 by the end of this term. 

The students have also recently finalised their first attempt of the NESA Minimum Standards Tests in Reading, Writing and Numeracy. This is a compulsory test that all students complete in Year 10 in order for them to attain their HSC Testamur at the end of Year 12. If in the event of the students not meeting the standard, they will be given another opportunity this year, two more chances in Year 11 and if needed, Year 12. The Year 10 students will be shown how to create their NESA Online Account in the next week and they will then be able to access their results and a detailed report of their achievement.

All students in our inaugural Year 11 cohort will be sitting their Final Examinations from the 11th September to the 20th September. The timetable has now been issued to the students and they now need to write this down into their school diary or assessment planner. The students have also received information from their respective teachers as to the format of the exam and this outlines the specific content assessed. All students are strongly encouraged to revise each area, complete practice questions and submit this to their teachers for feedback.

The students in Years 8 and 9 have been informed about the Stage 5 Electives that the school can offer in 2020. All students (and parents via email) have been provided with the relevant subject handbook which outlines the Mandatory Courses stipulated by NESA and the possible electives. Students submitted their preferences electronically and a letter will be sent home early next term advising the elective choice.

The preliminary results for NAPLAN have been released and many would have heard about this in the media. In due course, individual student letters about their particular effort will be sent to the school and we will forward this directly to all families. The official release date for all results will be approximately in mid-September.

Mr. G. Kemmis

Head of Learning

Keep your eyes peeled for new opportunities every month!!!

WSU Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Future Students Information Evenings

16 September. 6.00pm to 7.30pm - Penrith Campus

17 September. 6.00pm to 7.30pm - Campbelltown Campus

You will find out about entry steps, the courses you can select, support while you study, scholarships, university life.

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/future/student-life/events/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-i nformation-Evenings.html

CSIRO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cadetships

As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cadet, you will get the chance to work with leading scientists and mentors to solve some of Australia’s biggest challenges in a range of settings. The program provides financial assistance to support your full time study and provides 12 weeks of paid work placement at flexible times throughout the year. https://www.csiro.au/en/Careers/Indigenous-careers/Aboriginal-and-Torres-Strait-Islander-Cadetship s

WSU - Campus Tours

Friday 6 September - Hawkesbury campus                 Friday 4 October - Campbelltown campus Friday 1 November - Liverpool City campus       Friday 6 December - Parramatta South campus

You’ll take a tour of lecture theatres and teaching facilities, stroll through campus libraries, take in various food outlets and have the opportunity to learn more about the variousdegrees on offer, course selection, living on campus and university life. https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/future/student-life/events/campus-tours.html

Whitehouse Institute of Design Australia Summer Workshops

16 December 2019 to 24 January 2020 2 Short Street, Surry Hills.

Registrations are now open for the 5-day 2019/2020 Summer Workshops in Fashion Illustration | Image Styling |Sewing | Interiors Illustration | Design Portfolio. For information and registration go to the website at:     https://whitehouse-design.edu.au/workshops/

AIE Information Evening

19 September. 6pm to 8pm Level 2, Wentworth Park Grandstand, Wattle St, Ultimo

Discover the courses designed to get you started in game development, 3D animation and visual effects at the AIE Information Evening on Thu 19th September, 2019. The Sydney campus will be opening their doors to visitors eager to find out about upcoming full-time and part-time courses. The evening will include presentations on different areas of industry to get into as well as information about AIE full- time and part-time courses and entry requirements. Student work will be on display and teachers will be available to speak with you one on one about the courses and how AIE can get you into a creative career. https://aie.edu.au/aie_event/information-evening/

Start Your Own Small Business

If you’re thinking of starting your own business or have a new business idea that you’d like to make a reality, the Australian Government offers a range of initiatives and support to help you get started and grow your business idea.Starting up your own business is an exciting time, but it can also be daunting and challenging if you don’t get the right support to help you plan and prepare. You can attend Exploring Being My Own Boss workshops or receive NewBusiness Assistance with NEIS. Visit SelfStart to access a variety of resources and support to help you get a great idea off the ground and give you the stepping-stone to be your own boss. Whether you are thinking about becoming your own boss, starting a small business or being an entrepreneur, these things could help:

https://www.employment.gov.au/growing/i-want-start-my-own-business

Meet the Professors - UNSW Starting from 27 August

The 2019 Meet the Professors series is a wonderful chance for students and staff to celebrate the careers and achievements of UNSW’s newly promoted and recruited professors. Speakers will share their specialist knowledge and provide insights into ‘what’ and ‘who’ influenced their lives and careers.

https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/event/meet-the-professors

Nashwa Karafotias

Careers Advisor

School Activities

BOOK WEEK PHOTO COMPETITION

Book Week is a time to celebrate the books that come into our lives and take us to places we would never have otherwise gone. Without books our lives would all be a little less imaginative and overall, just a little less

Teacher Contribution

In order to celebrate the occasion of Book Week, the staff of St Agnes submitted several interesting photos of their pets reading their favourite book.  These photos were displayed in the library and the students had much fun debating which pets belonged with which teacher.  Here is just a sample of some of the teacher entries:-

Student Contribution

Students were asked to submit a photo of themselves with their pet or a much loved stuffed animal, reading their favourite book. They also had to submit a sentence about their pet or stuffed animal, and another sentence about their book. There were many extraordinary entries! Congratulations to all those who participated. 

The winners of the competition were:-

Well done Liam, Annabelle and Lachlan.

Here are a just a few quotes from some well known book lovers to reflect on and inspire:-

·       “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

 ·       “If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.” – Roald Dahl

·       “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

·       “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King

Miss Hicks

English, Literacy and EALD Specialist teacher

India comes to St Agnes

The Society and Culture class of 2019 celebrated India Day as part of their depth studies. The day started with an overview of India, its history and culture.

The day progressed with various guest speakers who spoke on the fundamental concepts of Society and Culture and linked them back to India.

Guest speakers focussed on role of women, change in rituals over time, work life balance of Indian women and the impact of globalisation on India in general.

Students got an opportunity showcase their saris and henna. Staff and students also engaged in Bollywood dancing as well as drinking of “masala chai” spiced tea with snacks.

The displays included a variety of colourful insight into the Indian customs and culture. Staff and students celebrated “Diwali” the festival of lights.

The day was filled with engaging activities and vibrant music. The hive of activities provided an aptitude for visual learning.

Miss Dass

Society & Culture Teacher

Make A Difference Day

On 29th July 2019, we attended the “Make A Difference Day” hosted by the Parliament of NSW.  We were informed and made aware of social justice issues regarding human rights and discrimination by the keynote speaker, Lilon Bandler.

Lilon Bandler is a Professor and Senior Research Fellow for LIME Network, who works with the team on the Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework, the scoping study on a Community of Practice for all the health sciences, and with specialist medical colleges.

Alongside other Year Ten students and political leaders, we discussed how we as students and members of our communities can inform and implement solutions to solve evident concerns.

The event was definitely an eye-opening experience that made us more aware of the problems occurring in our world and how crucial it is that we start conversations on ways we can make a difference.

We would like to thank Mr Chavez for the incredible opportunity to attend this event, we are very grateful that we got to go. 

- Jeyda Ozturk and Grace Napret

Year 11 Information Digital Technology

On 22nd August 2019 students from the Year 11 Information and Digital Technology (IDT) attended an excursion to the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE). AIE are specialists in providing courses in animation, game design and visual FX. Whilst the aim of the day was to give students an opportunity to learn about game programming from experts within the Gaming Industry, it taught the students what goes into the making of a game from the planning process, production and post production. The knowledge and skills gained will assist students in the module they are currently undertaking to create a website with a gaming theme and have the game they started to make embedded on this website. On the day students used "Unity" which is a game engine that has been used to make popular games such as “Pokemon Go, Dues Ex and Hearthstone to name a few.

Students on the day got the opportunity to listen to a talk from Dave who talked about Game Designing and what he identified as the essential skills and traits for Game Designers. He emphasised that Game Design is more about designing games to deliver a specific experience and that it's also about figuring out what to build and why. Dave’s essential skills and traits for Game Designers were critical thinking/logic, Empathy, Active Listening, Communication (Written and Verbal), Creative Vision and Prioritisation/Organisation. The day finished with students having the opportunity to talk to current students who are working through creating their own indie titles as part of their second-year assessment.

Student reflections from the day:

Abhisek Kumar

The AIE excursion had been a key experience which gave me an insight into the gaming industry. The key thing I learnt was the basic processes of using Unity and its capability. This allows me to take away the basics of using the game engine software (Unity) and expand my knowledge and creativity further.

I learnt that there are multiple pathways in the gaming industry which will assist me in selecting the right course to pursue in the future.

Sharbel Hanna

I liked how we got to design a game using unity on the computers and the experience of being able to talk to current students of the work they do at AIE.

Tubal-Cain Palu-Halaifonua

AIE showed us how to program games and how to create levels, players and how to code them to do specific things. The people there were informative and helped us through the whole way. Overall it was a fun experience and showed us a pathway that we could take later on in life.

--------------------------------------------------

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at AIE and Selena LI (AIE Communications Officer) for being so accommodating on the day and for giving the students at St Agnes a very fulfilling day where they were able to take this experience and now are able to apply them into the current Competency Assessment.

Luke Dela Cruz

IDT Teacher for the Mt Druitt Cluster

YOUNG WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP FORUM AT PARLIAMENT OF NSW

On the 22nd August, we were invited to attend the Young Women’s Leadership Forum held at the State Parliament of NSW. We had the great opportunity to listen to various female MPs  (from the Inner West and Western Sydney) speak about their own experiences, especially their rise to politics and their personal influences. These stories were very inspirational and hearing the women on the panel speak was very informative as they also gave us advice on how to become empowering leaders in society. 

We were also given the amazing opportunity to experience proceedings in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council where we were able to witness potential bills being introduced and then voted on. It was very interesting to see how legislations in our state are created. One of the other standouts of the day for us, was the heritage and history within the building. We loved the experience and gained so much knowledge from being in a place of great importance in our state’s history. 

Having the opportunity to spend the day in the city also made us feel like we were tourists and that was quite fun. Overall, it was a great experience and we would like to thank Mrs. Devine for being an amazing tour guide and attending the forum with us.

Selenna Fuimaono and Solo Tafau

Yr 11 students

Father's Day Breakfast at St Agnes

We'd like to thank all the fathers, grandfathers and carers that took time out of their day to come and share a breakfast with their child this morning. 

We hope you enjoy your Father's Day!

Elective Timber

Our Elective Timber students working hard at designing and developing toy trucks in class.

Noticeboard

From the Family Liaison Officer

As we head into September, it will be ‘R U OK? DAY’ on 12th September 2019. This year’s national theme for R U OK? Day is Trust the Signs, Ask R U OK? This is a simple but powerful question which lets people in our lives know that they are important to us, that we care about them and a sense of connectedness of all in the community. Each year, more than 2,300 Australians suicide and an estimated 65,000 people attempt suicide each year. Suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged 15 to 34 years old. It is important to remember this day as it is not the only day to ask ‘R U OK?’ when you notice something with your friends, family or, colleagues because it takes that one question to reach out to someone in need. There are simple actions which you can to help those in need

Ask: “ Are you OK?”, making sure to let the person know that you have time to talk.

Listen: Be open-minded, non-judgmental and patient

Encourage: Make suggestions that encourage physical health, self-care and professional help, if required.

Follow-up: Stay in touch. Genuine care and concern can make a real difference.

Did you know

- Half of all lifelong mental health problems begin before the age of 14.

- 13.9% of children and young people (aged 4 to 17 years) had suffered from an anxiety disorder in the past 12 months.

- 6.9% of children and young people (aged 4 to 17 years) had suffered from an anxiety disorder in the past 12 months. - The prevalence of major depressive disorder is higher in young people (12 to 17 years) than children (4 to 11 years).

- 19.9% of all young people (11 to 17 years) had high or very high levels of psychological distress in the previous

Useful numbers

Emergency 000

Kids helpline 1800 55 1800

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Samantha

Family School Liaison Officer

School Fees

Thank you to those families paying their school fees on time.

Many families choose a Catholic Education for their children for the Catholic Values and quality that it offers, and it’s acknowledged that this choice often requires life style sacrifices to be made.

Regrettably some families are not up to date with their school fee obligations.  This place an unnecessary burden on our school in terms of increased administration and diverts resources that would be better devoted to the students.

Out of consideration for the school, students and other parents and in the interests of freeing up more resources to educate your children, we remind all parents of the need to pay school fees by the due date.  We especially ask those parents with overdue accounts to make immediate arrangements with the Business Manager, Mrs Pickett  to bring them up to date.

Sibling Discounts- where circumstances change during the year

Reconciliations to external sibling discounts are conducted by CEDP. If your circumstances change in regards to sibling discounts please notify us immediately. Failure to do so could result in an increase in fees throughout the year and your current payment arrangement may not cover the balance of your account.

(Sibling reductions for Diocesan School Fees only apply to those children attending Systemic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta and St Dominics Kingswood or systemic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney and Diocese of Wollongong and Broken Bay).

Buses

Remember to TAP ON and TAP OFF so we can keep our school bus services running.

Any problems with Bus transport, please contact Busways asap (02) 9625 8900

Uniform Shop Opening times

TERM 3 opening times are:-

Monday 8am - 12pm

Wednesday 12pm - 3:30pm

These times will be reviewed for Term 4.

Remember, Year 10 will now wear the Senior Uniform in 2020, purchase now to ensure your student has the correct uniform.

Orders can be made online at https://theschoollocker.com.au/schools

From the Bishops Office

Plenary Council 2020:

The National Centre for Pastoral Research has just published Listen to what the Spirit is saying, the final report of the Listening and Dialogue stage of the Plenary Council. The report captures the voices of the more than 222,000 people who shared their submissions, questions and stories of faith during the 10-month process. Access the report at: www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/resources/reports

CatholicCare Bereavement Support Program: 8 August – 19 September

CatholicCare Solo Parent Services is starting a bereavement support program for those whose spouse has died. The programme will be held weekly on Thursdays from 10am to 12midday from 8 August to 19 September at Mackillop Hall, Granville. An Information session will be held on Thursday 1 August at 10am. For more information, call Rita at Solo Parent Services on 02 8843 2575.

Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Retired and Sick Priests: 1 September

There will be a special collection for the Clergy Support Foundation of the Diocese – on Father’s Day. Your donation helps them cover healthcare costs and expenses associated with everyday living, supplementing the pension that some receive. Please give generously this Father’s Day Appeal. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. Donations can be made here: parracatholic.org/csf

CYP Convent Crawl: 7 September

Catholic Youth Parramatta are organising a ‘Convent Crawl’ – an opportunity for young women to experience a day-long journey glimpsing the life of consecrated women. Join CYP as they visit four religious communities across the Diocese of Parramatta. 7 September from 6am to 8.30pm. To register, please visit parracatholic.org/conventcrawl. For inquiries, please contact qwayne.guevara@parracatholic.org

Adult Confirmation: 10 September

Adult Confirmation for 2019 will be held on Tuesday 10 September at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta from 7.30pm. A Catechesis Day for Adult Confirmation will be held on Saturday 31 August from 9.30am to 2pm. Any adult over 16 years wanting to be confirmed please see your Parish Office for information or contact the Office for Worship on 02 8838 3456 or mary-louise.walsh@parracatholic.org

Ministry of Communion to the Sick and Dying Ongoing Formation: 14 September

The Office for Worship is organising a formation day for those already involved in the ministry, Ministers of Communion to the Sick and the Dying on Saturday 14 September at the Institute for Mission, Blacktown, from 9:30am until 2pm. Morning tea and lunch will be provided. RSVP by 10 September. To RSVP, please contact the Office for Worship team on anne.alimangohan@parracatholic.org or 8838 3456.

Australian Catholic Youth Festival, Perth: 7 – 11 December 2019

ACYF19 is a biennial national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Bishops of Australia. The event involves three days of exciting, large scale Plenary's, tens of workshops, concerts, prayer experiences, fun, expos and concludes with an outdoor mass with the City of Perth. Bishop Vincent and Catholic Youth Parramatta will be leading an expected 200 participants. Free twin-share hotel accommodation is being offered now. For more information and to register visit www.catholicyouthparramatta.org

Volunteer in the Kimberley

The Catholic Diocese of Broome, WA, is looking for volunteers to assist with the work of the local Church in the Kimberley. There are various voluntary tasks: administration, building maintenance, gardening, shop staffing, cooking, cleaning etc. Placements are preferred for a period of six months. For further details, please contact volunteer coordinator Anneliese Rohr on (08) 9192 1060, email volunteers@broomediocese.org or visit www.broomediocese.org/volunteering

Campion College Australia Book Fair: 31 August

The Library at Campion College Australia will be holding a book fair with a large number of second-hand books for sale. 10am-3pm at Campion College, 8-14 Austin Woodbury Plc, Old Toongabbie. Inquiries (02) 9896 9307 or email k.vanaardt@campion.edu.au

A Christian’s perspective on the Islamic notion of Service: 3 September

The Australian Intercultural Society and Trinity College present a conversation on ‘A Christian’s perspective on the Islamic notion of service’ with guest speaker Dr Jon Pahl at Old Warden’s Lodge, Trinity College, Parkville, Melbourne on 3 September from 6.30pm to 8pm. Fr Jon will also launch his new book “Fethullah Gulen: A Life of Hizmet’. Registration is free. To RSVP, visit https://jonphal.eventbrite.com.au

Holy Hour for Vocations: 5 September

Youth aged 18 to 35 are invited to join The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth for the Holy Hour for Vocations at the Holy Spirit Convent, Plumpton, on Thursday 5 September at 7pm. Dinner will be served afterwards. RSVP to Sr Paula – vocationscsfn@gmail.com or 0449 656 406.

Reflection Day for Women – 7 September

Mount Schoenstatt, Mulgoa, is hosting a reflection day for women on Saturday 7 September from 9.30am to 3pm. Sr M Isabell Naumann will speak on the theme ‘give me the living water, that I may never thirst again.’ $25 per person and BYO lunch. To RSVP by 4 September, please contact 02 4773 8338 or info@schoenstatt.org.au

Sherry Weddell Presentation: 14 September

Author of the Intentional Disciple series and co-founder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell, is presenting on the topic Making Disciples in the Catholic Parish: Discerning Our Mission at the Caroline Chisholm Centre in Pennant Hills on 14 September from 9.30am to 4pm. For more information and to register, please call Natalie Moutia on (02) 9379 1626 or email faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au.

Listen with the soul Retreat: 16 – 23 September

Fr Kevin Dance and Sr Jill Dance will lead participants into an experience of inner prayer at the St Clement’s Retreat Centre, Galong, NSW from 16 to 23 September. The retreat provides an opportunity for group sharing, also times for deep silence, healing and reconciliation. $650 single ensuite room or $550 for shared facilities. For enquiries and bookings, please contact info@stclement.com.au

OLMC Parramatta 50 Year Reunion: 21 September

Did you commence Year 7 at OLMC in 1964, or attend any year thereafter, such that you did your HSC in 1969, or your SC in 1967? It’s OK if you left before your exams, you’re still welcome at our 50th Reunion! Contact Jennifer Newton: email fiftyyearsonolmc64-69@hotmail.com or Facebook page OLMC Parramatta 1964-1969 50th Reunion (September 2019).

Discernment Retreat: 27 September - 29 September

The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are offering a discernment retreat “The Compass of the Discernment” for women (aged 18-35) to reflect on that most important of questions: “Lord, what are you asking of me? How are you calling me to give?” It is a great opportunity to meet and spend time with the sisters. Holy Spirit Convent, 120 Capuchin Way, Plumpton. RSVP Sr Paula vocationscsfn@gmail.com or 0449 656 406.

Lifting the Veil Retreat Extended Weekend: 27 - 30 September

St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre in Douglas Park, NSW, is hosting ‘Lifting the Veil - Living in Liminal Space,’ presented by Fr John Armstrong from 27 to 30 September. This retreat is a time for us to stop and listen to where God’s spirit is moving in life. For more information and to RSVP, contact 02 4630 0233, contact@towersretreat.org.au or visit http://towersretreat.org.au

Rome Pilgrimages:

Rome Pilgrimages, by the Archdiocese of Sydney, is a Catholic pilgrimage which deepens one’s prayer life, offers a cultural experience, and connects pilgrims to our tradition and faith. The cost of the 7-day Pilgrimage is $2,350.00 (twin share accommodation – excludes airfares, some meals and travel insurance). Discounts available for large groups. Pilgrims stay at Domus Australia in the heart of Rome with opportunities for daily Mass. For more information, call 1800 753 959 or email pilgrimage@sydneycatholic.org

Visiting Rome? Stay at Domus Australia:

Domus Australia is a Boutique Pilgrim Guesthouse established by the Australian Catholic Church, welcoming travellers to Rome seeking comfortable accommodation and an ideal base from which to explore historical and cultural sites of the Eternal City. Centrally located with a magnificently restored Chapel featuring daily Mass in English, Domus Australia is the perfect oasis in the heart of Rome for Aussie pilgrims. For enquiries, please contact reservations@domusaustralia.org or visit www.domusaustralia.org

For more events please go to: parracatholic.org/events

The SkoolBag app is the easiest way keep up with school events, last minute notices, newsletters and all school communications.

New format of our Newsletter can be translated to 100+ languages

With our Google Translation integration, you can access our newsletter in ANY language. Simply scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to give it a try.