Caroline Chisholm College Newsletter

Dear Parents, Friends, Staff and Students of Caroline Chisholm College,

Yesterday, our Year 12 students received their HSC results from NESA and their Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) from the Universities Admissions Centre. Whilst this day has probably been keenly anticipated, many of our students have already accepted places in courses at their chosen university through early offers, scholarships and other entry pathways. Others have already entered further training and some are taking some time to work in a range of fields. We are delighted with this year's results.

Most of our subjects' average HSC marks were well above state average. I want to congratulate the teachers of  Mathematics Standard 1 (+11.02), Business Services (+9.10), Food Technology (+7.64) and Visual Arts (+7.20) where the average student mark was well above the NSW average.  However, as you have no doubt heard me say before, final marks tell only a small part of the story of the learning journey. I am quietly cheering for the students who did better than they believed they could, students who overcame incredible trauma and change and went on to succeed in their studies, students who lived with complex mental health and physical health concerns and still achieved their goals, students who were the first in their family to complete school and students who spent the two years of the HSC caring for family members with profound disabilities.  These successes in learning and in life are just as worthy of the headlines and the applause.

As the year rolls up into Christmas and 2020 I am filled with hope. Working each day with creative, passionate young people is a constant source of encouragement to me and to our community. These past weeks we have been confronted with the obvious impact of a changing climate: many of our families have had to evacuate from their homes and the college has been smothered in dense smoke for so long that we've forgotten what a clear day is like, let alone regular rain fall. Pope Francis calls on us to treat the planet with deep respect and to be humble in the way we use resources. He said:

As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling.

While it is a lot to expect of the younger generations to heal the earth, we already see examples of inspiring leadership from young people, examples of clear values, assertiveness, a desire for justice. I believe it is the role of the Catholic school to help young people recognise and embrace their power to be agents of justice and of change in their communities. You can expect that in 2020, students of Caroline Chisholm will be taught even more explicitly how to use their strengths to make a difference for the sake of all people and for nature herself. Complacency is not an option.

Working with this team of teachers and support staff is a humbling experience. Students and parents will only ever see a small portion of the work, energy and care that these professionals dedicate to their students. I share my days with talented and caring women and men who invariably put students first and who engage with the latest research to ensure that their efforts in the classroom lead to growth for every student. A number of these teachers will be leaving at the end of the year, and I hope they know that Caroline Chisholm College is a better place for their efforts.  The following members of our staff who had temporary positions will be leaving us at the end of this year: Ms Svetlana Hunn, from Science, begins at Emmaus Catholic College, Ms Odette Blandin de Chalain takes up a permanent position at St Columba's Catholic College and Ms Saoirse Ward concludes her contract with the college. We also farewell a number of support staff including Mrs Renuka Keenawinna, Mrs Kerrie Dahl, Mrs Monica Abdo and Mr Chris Williams. Wherever their paths may lead, may God richly reward them for their service to our students over 2019, and in some cases, much much longer. Also retiring at the end of this school year is Mrs Maureen Stanley. Maureen has been employed as Kitchen Assistant in the TAS faculty since 2001. Maureen has been such an important part of our students' experience of learning life long skills in Food Technology and Hospitality whilst at the College, and her calm expertise will be greatly missed.

I love Christmas. It is a time to do a reset and remind ourselves of what is most important: God's love made human in Jesus on Christmas morning and in each of us every day. It is a time for thanksgiving. I am giving thanks for the love of my family and the joy of working with our Caroline Chisholm community. I thank you for your support of this great school in 2019 and for the opportunity to work together again in 2020 - a year of great promise for our college on the 200th anniversary of Catholic education in Australia.

With every blessing for Christmas,

Lord Jesus Christ,

your birth at Bethlehem

draws us to kneel in wonder at heaven touching earth:

accept our heartfelt praise

as we worship you,

our Saviour and our eternal God.

Amen.

Mr Greg Elliott
Principal

Donations of Old Uniforms
If any parents have old uniforms in reasonable condition, they are invited to donate them to the college to assist us to have an emergency supply which we use for a variety of reasons. These can be sent in at the start of the year or any time during the year. Please note, though, that we cannot use the old version of the sports uniform. Any donations will be most appreciated.

Uniforms
As mentioned in the last newsletter, I would like parents to check over the holidays to make sure your daughter’s uniform meets requirements. It is a strong expectation of the parent body of Caroline Chisholm College that uniform standards are maintained. Please see the last newsletter for detailed information about requirements, particularly for skirts and shoes.

As you would know from previous newsletters, the uniform shop procedures have changed. From March 2020, Lowes, Penrith will be our uniform supplier and families will be able to purchase uniform items at any time that is convenient to them without being restricted to certain days of the week and limited hours. More information about this will be provided next year.

Between now and next March, the process for purchasing uniforms is a little convoluted. The process applies to all parts of the uniform, including socks. Until Lowes commences selling the uniform next year, The School Locker is the only place which stocks our uniform, unfortunately.

At this point, uniforms can no longer be purchased at the college from The School Locker. Parents can place orders online at https://theschoollocker.com.au. Use the search bar to search for Caroline Chisholm. Parents can select

• to have their order delivered directly to them
• to collect the order from the Liverpool store
• to collect the order from the school on our collection days (9:00am – 1:00pm Monday 20 January or 1:00pm – 4:00pm Tuesday 21st January). 

Orders placed after Wednesday 15 January will need to be collected from Liverpool or delivered directly to families’ homes.  Online ordering will cease on Wednesday 12th February 2020. Any outstanding ‘pickup’ orders that have not been collected will be considered abandoned after Friday

Mr Greg King - Assistant Principal

We all know the importance of reading and how a great book can spark the imagination and creativity in us all. These summer holidays, we are encouraging all students to take the reading challenge and read, read, read!

It’s simple! Students just need to read something they enjoy and tell us in 50 words or less why they loved it.

The more material a student reads, the more times they can enter the reading challenge and the more chances they have of winning one of two Chromebooks or one of thirty runner-up gift vouchers to the value of $30 each.

Thanks to our sponsors Teachers Mutual Bank. To learn more about their services please visit their website.

For more information, please contact Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta by emailing competitions@parra.catholic.edu.au. or visit https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/News-and-Events/Whats-On/EDSRC 

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