Delany College - Granville

Dear Delany community,

I wish to thank Mr Blomfield and Ms McManus, who stood in as Acting Principal and Acting Assistant Principal respectively, for maintaining the high standards of teaching and learning during my absence on long service leave. I have come back refreshed and energised to see through the rest of the year and work with staff and parents in achieving out learning goals for 2019.

 The College will be hosting and supporting a number of significant events in the coming weeks:

 1.    The Athletics Carnival will be held this Friday at Holroyd Sports ground from 8:30 to 2:30. All parents are welcome to join the fun and contribute to the House spirit.

2.    We are proud to support the Holy Trinity Parish Fete to be held on Sunday 16 June at the Holy Trinity Primary grounds from 11am to 4pm

3.    Finally, we have our biggest day of the year, our Multicultural Day, on Friday 28 June. A time to share our diversity and celebrate our unity as a catholic community. We again invite all parents to join us in the afternoon for drinks, food and fun.

On Wednesday 22 May 2019 Br Aengus Kavanagh was awarded the highest honour the Australian Catholic University (ACU) can bestow. Br Aengus was awarded, on the basis of his lifetime contributions to education, an Honorary Doctorate. The Mission Statement of ACU sums up quite precisely the lifetime mission of Dr Kavanagh.

  “Within the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and acting in Truth and Love, Australian Catholic University and Dr Br Aengus Kavanagh fsp, are committed to the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person and the common good.”

We are so proud to call Aengus one of us. He is a true inspiration to the thousands of young men and women who have had the opportunity to call him Brother at Delany. His reach in enriching the lives of staff and parents alike is a testament to the man that he is. They broke the mould when they fashioned this Irishman, who has made a difference to people’s lives spanning six decades across several continents.

God Bless

Mr Robert Muscat

Principal

Business returns to normal this week with Mr Muscat back from long service leave. I would like to thank those staff, students and parents who offered me support over the past five weeks. I would also like to thank Ms McManus who ably filled the role of Assistant Principal during that time.

The Delany community

Multicultural Day will be upon us by the time we publish our next newsletter. Let me explain the day for those who have not previously attended.

Multicultural Day was borne from a student suggestion in 2016. It began with the idea of having students share food from the various and many cultures from our community, and our first day was fairly low-key. Fast forward to 2019 and we are aiming to continue the celebration of cultural foods, but also have student performances, a jumping castle and activities, face painting, competitions… and more food!

The day will commence at 2pm with students from Delany and Holy Trinity Primary joining together to be welcomed to Country by Aboriginal representatives. They will begin with a smoking ceremony which is used as a cleansing ritual, and then continue with a dance performance and story telling.

The event doubles as a fundraising event for our Delany Foundation. This Patrician foundation was formed to raise money for schools in the Pacific Islands, Africa and India.

I will acknowledge the tremendous work that the Year 12 student leaders have already done towards the organisation and success of Multicultural Day. They are arranging sponsors to donate items and gift vouchers for competitions and raffles that will run as we approach the day. A special thanks to Mrs Melissa Smith who has donated a signed Bulldogs jersey - I’m personally very excited by this item!!

You are very welcome to attend! Come along and participate in one of the biggest days on the Delany calendar.

The academic community

The middle of Term 2 is a busy, busy time for all staff and students with a host of assessment tasks under way. Students in Years 7 - 10 no longer have an “exam week”. Assessment of student learning has moved away from these high stakes tasks and, instead, is conducted on a continuous basis. The assessment of a student’s grade for each reported learning outcomes is comprised of classroom observation and participation, tasks that run throughout the term, project work that is submitted, and in some cases, an exam. An exam, however, is part of the grade rather than the one and only point of reference.

Years 11 and 12 work somewhat differently. We know that the HSC examinations are a big deal and act as the key reference point for graduating students. However, I remind parents and students that the HSC exams make up only 50% of the final result. In other words, school-based assessment tasks are very important… so keep working with diligence and dedication.

 The Patrician community

On Tuesday 4 June, Br Aengus Kavanagh attended the College. Br Aengus has held various positions within the Patrician Brothers’ community including Australian and international leader. He is, however, ever a humble man, and his visit this week was to share the Patrician spirit with those staff who are teaching at Delany for their first year. Although I’ve heard this presentation every year, I value the time because it reminds me of the legacy of the Patrician Brothers and the gentle way in which they go about their work. Br Aengus told us the following: because there are few Brothers or Sisters at schools today, each one of us is now a Brother and Sister who continues the work of Patricians each day. I am thankful to be working in this Patrician community.

 Attendance

I am writing this article on a rainy, windy and cold day. I am at work. No doubt every parent who is employed is also at work today (unless you’re sick). Unfortunately, there are too many students absent today because of the weather conditions, and this is a great shame and a poor habit to develop. Students NEED to be at school every possible day, and I ask all parents to encourage and enforce the expectation that attendance - at school just like in employment - is not an opt-in/opt-out decision.

Parents of Year 10 students

During Term 2 we begin with Year 10 students the discussion about study in Year 11. They will receive a booklet that describes the various courses they can choose for their program of study next year and, ultimately, the HSC courses. We purposely begin early because it’s important that students make informed decisions. It’s also important that parents have a clear understanding of study options after Year 10.

There will be a parent and student information evening on Wednesday 26 June (6pm - 7pm). It is expected that every student who intends to proceed to Year 11, with one parent or guardian, attend this evening. Please mark it in your diary.

St Patrick, pray for us.

Mr Anthony Blomfield

Assistant Principal

On the chilly night of 28 of May, a handful of optimistic and excited students were selected to attend the 20th Annual Anniversary of the Social Justice Forum held at Mount St Benedict College. The keynote speaker was Gem Romuld from International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Since their founding in 2007, they have worked to build a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2017.

We were one of many schools that attended, partaking in a series of engaging activities and motivating talks. Some of the workshops that were offered included Well-being, the Three Rs of Recycling and House of Welcome.

Since all of the students had an eager spirit to be inspired by contemporary social justice issues, they were excited to be involved in discussions from the ‘Politics of Fashion’ to 'Days for Girls’. The Politics of Fashion, led by keynote speaker Mary Ward, Deputy Lifestyle Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, discussed the ethical considerations in the world of fashion. From Gucci to Cotton On, students were informed about how their ‘voice’ has influenced brands to be more environmentally conscious and sustainable. It was by analysing movements such as the ‘Black Dress Protest’ at the Golden Globes as a reflection of the sombre atmosphere of the Hollywood Industry, we found that clothes can also send a message to political parties, brands and consumers. It was in light of this discussion that we found out that each year, Australians send $500 million worth of clothing to the tip! Although, it was through inspiring women, such as Clare Press and Bandana Tewari, that encourage us to revisit what Gandhi said three quarters of a century ago: "The world has enough for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed."

Overall, the night was very amusing and enjoyable, not only for the sessions, but also the enduring friendships made between schools. Each of us were able to carry home new things we had learnt. We would like to especially thank Miss Ortiz and Mrs Stow for this wonderful opportunity.

Vincent Tuala and Mary Ghribian

Year 12 students

Tuesday 23rd April

During the holidays Mary, Tavishi, Irene and MJ accompanied Miss Ortiz and Miss Katrib to Vinnies Van. The students continue to find this experience to be extremely rewarding, as they have the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with the patrons, such as Steve and Jason.

Tuesday 28th May

On Tuesday 28 May, Sioeli,  Ta’a, Brenda, and Matelita went out with Mrs Findlay and Miss Katrib  on the Vinnies Van. The students were more than happy to dedicate their time to helping those in need within our community. Many conversations and laughs were shared throughout the night.

HSC Society and Culture Study Day

On Wednesday 29 of May, our Year 12 Society and Culture class joined other schools across NSW to attend the HSC Study Day held at the Wesley Conference Centre. Hosted by the Society and Culture Association of NSW, we participated in several seminars where we learnt effective study strategies in preparation for our upcoming HSC exams. Later, we observed the Yidaki Eulogy; a traditional performance led by Albert David who shared the Aboriginal culture through dance and song. This experience left us feeling reassured in our ability to perform our absolute best as a group and grateful for the tremendous support we receive from both our parents and teachers. A special thank you to Mrs McCarren for organising this day for us!

Tavishi Pieris

Year 12 student

When the War is Over, by Jackie French and illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, was donated on the day of celebration for ANZAC 2019. “War may never truly end, but there can be homecomings. This is a book about the joy of reunion and the enduring power of love.”

The second is titled, Granville Roll of Honour: Soldiers from Granville who died in World War I and has been researched and compiled by Colin J Humphreys. From the Introduction - “My overall aim was to identify all soldiers from Granville who died during World War I, and document how they died.”

Lynette Perrett

Library Manager