Chisholm always was, always will be a Darug place
NAIDOC Week is an annual week-long celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity for us to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our school community. We commit ourselves to to working towards genuine reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to being open to learning from Aboriginal culture and science. As we walk this journey together, let us pray that our nation will recognise past hurt, celebrate the gift of Aboriginal heritage and work for a just future:
May the Ancient Dreaming
inform and inspire us.
May the resilience and generosity
of the First Peoples encourage us.
May the clarity and respect
of the Prophets motivate us.
May the endurance and colour
of the land sustain us.
May the yearning of all peoples
for unity reconcile us.
Amen
Mobile Phone Use in Class
It is a well established fact that inappropriate use of phones (and computers) causes serious distractions in school and that learning is less effective when young people are using phones in an unregulated way. Our goal, as educators, is to help our young people become self-disciplined, able to make good decisions about technology and its use. We will not be banning phones altogether, but teachers will enforce our agreed procedures about phone use. We appreciate our parents’ and carers’ support in reinforcing these expectations with their daughters:
Mobile phones must not be used in class unless directed to by a teacher (e.g., for the camera function to take a photo of an experiment);
Mobile phones must remain in the students’ school bag during the lesson, and only taken out when directed to by the teacher;
Earphones (air-pods, etc.) must not be used in class, unless students are directed to by their teacher;
Classroom teachers will impose consequences if students do not comply with class expectations about the use of phones, earphones, etc. These consequences may include having the phone held at the teacher’s desk for the remainder of the lesson, the student being placed on a recess or lunch detention, or contacting parents to inform them of their daughter’s poor behaviour with her devices.
Some parents have raised concerns about the amount of time being spent on phones during meal breaks, and the impact this may have on students’ activity levels and on their relationships. The college offers a large range of activities, clubs and committees that students may engage in during break times. Please encourage your daughters to get involved.
We encourage parents and carers to have meaningful conversations about this topic with their daughters. We also recommend watching the 2020 film The Social Dilemma with your daughter and discussing its implications for her.
End of Year Arrangements 2020
Years 7 and 8: their last day is Friday 11 December.
Year 9: their last day is Friday 11 December. Classes finish on Wednesday 9 December and Peer Support training (compulsory) is on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December.
Year 10: their last day is Wednesday 9 December.
Year 11: their last day is Friday 11 December.
There will be optional activity days on Monday 14 December and Tuesday 15 December for students in Years 7-9. More information about these days will be provided shortly.
There will be optional parent/student/teacher interviews for students in Years 7-10 via Zoom on Wednesday 16 December. More information about this process will be provided later.
Year 11 Presentation
The Presentation Ceremony for students completing Year 11 will be livestreamed on Thursday, 19 November at 8.50am via this link https://youtu.be/fOgc0F45-_o Certificates will be presented to students for both academic and college community achievements. All students will have the opportunity to attend the ceremony for their year group. Parents of students receiving awards will have received an invitation from the college via email. We invite all parents and friends to join us online for this celebration.
Study Skills Handbook Newsletter Tip for November
When a student says that they have a bad memory, it usually means that actually they do not encode the information they are trying to remember into their memory in an effective way. Memory is really a ‘process’ as opposed to a ‘thing’ in your head that you are born with.
Rather than ‘improving your memory’, you want to improve the process of memory creation to ensure memory retrieval goes smoothly! The reason why many students do not retain what they are learning is that the way they study only gets the information as far as their short term memory, and then before long it is forgotten instead of being encoded into long term memory.
The top three things to improve the process of creating powerful memories are:
i) focus, positive attitude and intention to remember are essential (reading something half-heartedly while bored pretty much guarantees it won’t be retained)
ii) an active approach to learning where students are ‘doing’ (making notes, testing themselves using a wide range of study techniques) rather than just ‘reading’
iii) repetition and constant review of the material over a period of time.
To learn more about the brain and memory and advanced memory techniques visit the Brain and Memory unit on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au (click on the For Students tab).
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Year 7 Life Saving Day Excursion - Friday 27th November 2020 - Glenbrook Pools
Friday, 27 November 2020, will see Year 7 complete the COMPULSORY aquatics component of PDHPE / Sport. The students will travel to and from Glenbrook Swim Centre by bus leaving the college at 8.35am and returning at approximately 2.25pm. Permission notes were sent home on Wednesday 11th November and a copy has been uploaded to Year 7 group in skoolbag.
Lifesaving skills will be taught to the students by the PDHPE teachers as part of the Saving Lives unit that Year 7 are currently studying this term.
If students cannot participate for any ACCEPTABLE reason on the day, they must provide a note written by their parent / carer explaining why they cannot participate. In this case, students will remain at school completing inquiry tasks regarding Lifesaving and Water Safety.
Students are to wear their swimming costume beneath their full sports uniform and bring a towel and underwear to the pool in a plastic bag or the Caroline Chisholm navy tote bag. No school bags are permitted at the pool. Please ensure uniforms and any other belongings are clearly labelled.
Please note, appropriate swimwear is to be worn, ie, full piece or two piece with a rashie.
Students will also need to ensure they bring the following on the day:
● Recess food
● Lunch (A canteen is available at the pool. However, a packed lunch is encouraged due to time.)
● Water
● Hat
● Sunscreen
Permission notes are to be returned to HOMEROOM teachers BEFORE Monday, 23 November 2020.
If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact Mrs Caroline McElroy at the college on 47375500 or email cmcelroy@parra.catholic.edu.au
