Star of Peace

Welcome back to Term 2.

This coming Sunday is both Good Shepherd Sunday and Mother’s Day. In next Sunday’s readings we see God’s unending love for his children. As I reflect on being a mother, we too, despite the challenges at times, have an unending love for our children.  We like Christ are shepherds of our flock, we are the voice that teaches and guides. We comfort, love, inspire, forgive, seek to understand and cherish them with a deep sense and knowledge of God’s love.

We remember our mothers and grandmothers and those who have taken on the role of mother with much thanksgiving and love. We thank them for the many things that they do for us, the joy that they bring to us and for the often quiet way they go about doing things for us to make our lives a little bit easier, placing our needs above theirs. It is a time to celebrate Mary our Good Mother. Mary holds a secure place in the heart of the faithful. She is the greatest of all saints.

Mary serves as an outstanding model of virtue – of faith, hope and love of God and for others. The church reminds us of our need for reverence of Mary, because it was through her that the son of God came into our history and that all devotion to Mary leads us to Christ.

It has been great to have our new temporary demountables in action. They are nothing like the old standard demountable classrooms. The spaces, while a little smaller, replicate the designs of our new spaces. Student feedback has been very positive and in my learning walks it has been very affirming to see every student engaged in their learning. The demolition of A block will begin in the coming weeks. As you may be aware one of our basketball courts has been out of action for two terms. The damage to the surface during the construction of the covered area has taken significant time to resolve. I am very happy to say that this will be resolved shortly.

Last Friday, we celebrated Administrative Professionals Day with our wonderful, dedicated support team, with a very sumptuous morning tea provided by a very appreciative staff. Our Marist College community are so thankful and so blessed to have such an outstanding Administration team.

On Monday staff at the College gathered for our annual formation day that forms part of staff formation each year and our three year formation program. The theme for the day was Awakening: Mission, My School and Me. Staff explored their understanding of the Mission Statement and Strategic Plan of the Diocese and our own Mission statement, what this looks like in action in our community and how we can continue to ignite the faith of our young people and each other. It was a truly joyful experience to see the passion that each of staff here have in bringing our Mission to life.

Over the last week I have taken a deep dive into our attendance data. There is an increasing number of students with emerging rates of attendance (between 80% and 90%). There is a very strong link between academic wellbeing, student’s feeling successful and connected to school and their attendance. Our partnership is a very strong factor in addressing issues with attendance. If you receive an email, letter of phone call regarding attendance could I ask that you ensure that you make contact with the College. Every day counts.

There are lots of things that happen within the College and beyond. During the holiday break, senior students attended additional holiday classes, participated in the Annual Palm Sunday Walk as well as 37 students and 6 staff in the Good Friday Night Walk for Catholic Youth Parramatta that began at 10:30 pm and finished at 6:30 am. On our return to Term 2 we have celebrated Anzac Day, hosted the Junior and Senior MCS Chess Competition, hosted round one of Debating, had our first staff student match, participated in the Annual Year 12 Marist Forum and the Annual Writers Day Festival and of course, we have continued with our weekly Breakfast Club.  Our newsletter as well as our Facebook page is a great way of keeping up with the latest news.

A reminder that if at any time you have a concern or complaint please do not hesitate to contact the College immediately so the matter can be quickly resolved. Our full policies can be found on the College website.

Mrs A. Hay

CHANGE OF DATE

Each year, teachers have a professional learning day which supports the various learning strategies of the College. This year the Staff Professional Learning day will be on 26th August (Monday). This has changed from the previously advertised date of 22 July. Please amend your calendars accordingly. The 26th of August is a pupil free day and the first day of school for students for Term 3 is 22 July.

INTERIM REPORTS

At the end of last term Year 7 and Year 11 received their Interim Reports which provide an overview of your son/daughter’s application, effort and engagement with each of their subjects this term in their transition to secondary school and the preliminary courses. Please take time to discuss the results from these reports with your child and set Term 2 goals to continue to build on the success of Term 1 and/or identify areas for growth and change. If you require an interview please contact the relevant Pastoral Leader of Learning.

PARENT / TEACHER / STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Throughout the year your child will receive ongoing feedback on their application to their studies. This occurs in a variety of ways both informally and formally. Parent Teacher evenings are held twice a year to ensure that there is an opportunity for parents, teachers and students to discuss their learning, refine their strategies, reset goals and refocus engagement. All Parent Teacher interviews throughout the year are compulsory to attend. The end of year 7 to 10 interviews are the only optional sessions.

The next Parent Teacher Interviews will occur on 11 June for Year 10 from 4.00pm to 7.00pm.

PARENT FORUM

On the 5th June we invite parents and caregivers to attend a parent forum focused upon Study Skills. The evening will explore strategies and techniques to support your child in their application and approaches to secondary studies. The evening will begin at 6.30 – 7.30pm in the Library. Please book your attendance at this event through this link (https://forms.gle/6QKy9rdkCbdK78Tf7)

Register your attendance

Mr Jason Scanlon

Assistant Principal - Innovation, Teaching and Learning

The most important time in the Catholic Church's calendar was commemorated at two large events organised by the Catholic Youth of Parramatta. St Patrick's Marist was proudly represented at the Palm Sunday Mass and the annual Good Friday Night Walk.

PALM SUNDAY

Holy Week began this year with the annual Palm Sunday walk from Parramatta Town Hall to St Patrick's Cathedral. Every year, students from the Diocese take part in the short walk commemorating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The College was proudly represented by our  student leaders and captains, Joshua Ahn, Max Wahbe, Claudia Sobral, Micky Nader and Chris Saad. They and their families, were glad to come along and participate, carrying the school banner and national flags to the cathedral. The walk was followed by Mass, led by Bishop Vincent who spoke about the sacrifice of Christ and its lesson for Catholics today. 

GOOD FRIDAY WALK

Every year on Good Friday, students are invited to walk with members of the Parramatta Diocese in the Annual Good Friday Night Walk. This year 27 of our students walked from  from St Patrick's Church Guildford to St Patrick's Cathedral Parramatta.  There were over 1500 walkers from all over the diocese that took apart. The night began at 10.30pm at Guildford with stops at the parishes of Granville, East Granville, Merrylands, and Harris Park, ending around 6.30am the next morning at the Cathedral. At each Parish, A decade of the rosary was prayed whilst parishioners from each church recounted their experiences of faith at World Youth Day, from earlier in the year. Even in the early hours of the morning, our students were engaged thoughtfully in the experience. My Thanks must go to Madame Dunston, Mrs and Mr Lesdesma, Mrs Malone and Mr Malkoun who walked and prayed with us through the night. We could not have had this night without them  It was a long, but very enjoyable night and I encourage all students to consider participating next year. It really is a great experience.

Mr D. Moussa

Youth Ministry Facilitator

From the 3rd to the 5th of May, the Annual Year 12 Marist Forum was held at 'The Hermitage' in Mittagong.  Organised by the team at Marist Youth Ministry Sydney, this event brings students from the Marist schools in NSW to learn, network and enjoy the peace and quietness of 'The Hermitage'.  Emma Gallagher, Max Wahbe, Peter Litsas, Monica Le and Ashley Doueihi joined students from Parramatta Marist, John Therry Catholic High School, Cerdon College Merrylands, St Gregory's College Campbelltown, St Joseph's College Hunter's Hill and Marist College North Shore over the weekend.

The theme of the forum was Vocations, where students explored ideas of the different paths they could take upon graduation from the College. The weekend included many sessions looking at different vocations, included religious paths, married life, and professional vocation. One of the highlights was the Marist Chase - a scavenger hunt of sorts where our students in their groups, filmed and acted out different scenarios around The Hermitage to gain points. Our students, involved themselves in all aspects and were commended by the other staff members for their enthusiasm and friendly nature.

The forum was a great opportunity for our students to witness what it means to be a lifelong Marist. One of the major goals of the College is to create the sense of family spirit amongst all students. It is through events such as the Forum, that the family spirit of Dundas is extended to all our wider Marist family. Our students are to be commended on their positive attitude and for their representation of the College. 

Mr D. Moussa

Youth Ministry Facilitator

The College requires accurate and up-to-date student information as part of our duty of care and to support the needs of all learners. To ensure the information we currently have is correct, the CEDP have distributed a survey to all families to validate key information such as contact details and emergency contacts. 

If you have not already completed the validation survey, CEDP will be re-sending through the survey link via email.  

We ask families to complete the survey by 31 May 2019. Any questions about the survey can be directed to the Community Liaison team on 9840 5796. 

Thank you for your support of this important project.

Mr M. Paton

Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing

Our youngest generation are the first to grow up in a world of constant connection—for them, the online world is now just as important as the offline world.

With technology changing at a rapid pace, it’s important to have proactive and open conversations about safe online behaviour early and often. If you feel unsure talking to your child about online safety, you’re not alone. In fact, a quarter of Australian parents report they feel the same way.

The good news is, we’re here to help you get started. Visit eSafety for advice and guidance on how to start the chat about online safety in your household.

A reminder that NAPLAN tests will be conducted next week.  Parents of students in Year 7 and 9 were sent home a letter last term.  Eligible students are required to sit the tests on the following days:

A reminder that all students will need to have their own headphones as well as their own charged device with the NAPLAN lockdown browser installed. Any student who needs to borrow a device must see I.T. on MONDAY 15th MAY.

Additional information about NAPLAN can be found at Naplan: Parent / Carer Support Information.

Miss Sarah Hagarty

Leader of Studies & Learning Analytics

DURING THE HOLIDAYS

• The set-up of the new demountables were finalised including relocating desks and chairs and ensuring all the new technology works and is ready for Day 1 - Term 2.
  
• The A block is in the process of being decommissioned.
• BG07 and the library stairwell were freshly painted as well as many of the classrooms and office doors in B block facing the courtyard.
• The retaining wall behind the statue of Mary (next to courtyard) was replaced, looking so much better!
• Some new TAS machinery was replaced
• The Basketball courts are being scoped by CEDP to re-build the surface of both courts. We hope that it will be started soon.
• And, lots of behind-the-scenes regular maintenance and some repairs eg air conditioners serviced, pest spray, fire safety testing, gurney the courtyard and pathways, blow down leaves from everywhere, wash bins, relocate some furniture, repairs to PA system, etc, etc.

WORKING BEE

Saturday, 1st June (8.00am – 12.00pm)

Following the success and great community spirit during the last working bee, we are organising another one. The grounds of the school are so large and there are always things to do. Help from our parents is always much appreciated to spruce up our grounds.

The next working bee will be on Saturday, 1st June 2019 (from 8.00am to 12.00 Noon) followed by a sausage sizzle at the end.

Further details will be sent separately (via email and Skoolbag app), however, if anyone is interested, please mark this date in your calendar. Another letter will be sent home soon so if you are available and keen, you can return the reply slip, indicating numbers so we can plan ahead.

The main focus this time will be tending to the re-growth along the fence line of Kirby St (from the bus bay to Kissing Point Rd) as well as the over-grown area along the long fence line of Kissing Point Rd.  We will focus on level areas just inside the fences and the fences themselves, not the steep areas. Please bring garden gloves and appropriate garden tools (eg rakes, spades, secateurs, whipper snipper, mulching forks, etc) and garbage bags.

PAYMENTS AT THE OFFICE

A reminder that most of our excursions/incursions, sport, formation, pastoral and other celebrations, etc are included in your school fees. If you are not paying your school fees through direct debit, BPay or BPoint, you can pay your school fees by POST billpay at the local post office (most are open on Saturday mornings), credit card over the phone or by EFTPOS or cash at reception. Please consider your child’s personal safety and do not send large sum of cash with them.

Occasionally, students need to pay for optional activities, representative sports uniforms, bags, hats, ties, formals, replacement diaries, etc. These payment can be made via credit card over the phone, by EFTPOS at reception or cash/cheque can be put into a sealed envelope with the student’s name, homeroom, amount and what it is for on the front of it. Students are to put these envelopes in the drop box at the student counter. These are not collected by teachers.

If you are paying in cash, it would assist us greatly if you could put the correct money in the envelope. We are not able to give change immediately. Students have to be called back to the office later in the day to collect it, thereby interfering with their classroom learning. Teachers who organise an activity would advise the cost.

UNIFORM SHOP

Our Uniform Shop is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays (before school and during recess and lunch breaks). We sell schoolbags, sports bags, hats, Junior & Senior ties and representative sport uniforms. We also sell good-quality second-hand uniforms.

The costs of the uniform items are:

• School Bags - $65;  Chiro Bag - $95;  Sports Bag - $15
• Senior/Junior Ties - $20
• Hats - $15
• Soccer / Rugby shorts - $25*;  Cricket Shirt - $35;  Netball Shirt / Skirt - $25; Representative Socks - $15

Please note that we are expecting a delivery of Rugby and Soccer shorts soon, which will result in those prices increasing to $30

LOST PROPERTY

We accumulate a lot of uniform items, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. Please ensure your child’s name is on their belongings so that if found, we can call them to office to collect.

Ms V. Fraser

Business Manager

Students leaving the College before the end of the year.

A reminder of the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta’s policy regarding a student leaving the College during the year. A Term’s notice (10 weeks) in writing must be given to the Principal before the removal of a student or a full Term’s Fees will be payable.  Parents are also required to complete a clearance form. 

Further details on this policy can be found on http://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/school-fees

Second Instalment Statements

A statement for the second instalment of the school fees has been mailed to all families and are due on Wednesday 5th June.  If you are currently on a payment arrangement please continue to make your instalments as per our agreement.

Reminder notices for overdue Term 1 fees have also been sent out.  Please organise to bring your fees up to date as soon as possible or contact me to organise a payment arrangement.

Payment of fees can be paid by:  Credit card, direct debit, cheque, bpay, billpay, Centrelink payments, eftpos or cash.  If you are paying with a large amount of cash this can also be paid at your local post office using billpay.

The College is happy to assist those parents/caregivers who require more time to pay off their child’s school fees.  If any family is experiencing financial difficulty or would like to organise an alternate payment plan please contact me on – 8841 7955 Monday to Thursday or email rwadih@parra.catholic.edu.au.

Ms Rolla Wadih

School Fee Administrator

This term, the focus for the Year 12 cohort is attendance.  After last term, the attendance rate of Year 12 was the lowest of the six year groups, this is a very unusual circumstance. Given the importance of this final year of study, high attendance rates are crucial. Last term, I spoke with Year 12 regarding the strong link between attendance and HSC marks from last year's cohort. Mrs Hay has also spoken with the group regarding the importance of high attendance. Given there are now two terms left of classes, I urge students to focus on being at school every day to work with their teachers and classmates. 

Pastoral Leader of Learning - Year 12

Our Year 12 students took time out last Thursday from their busy routine, becoming involved in stress release activities, living up to a balanced life style that is promoted here at the College. Our own Mr Berner organised a Self Defence session which incorporated some physical exertion from our willing participants while Ms Eskander, facilitated a mindfulness workshop in our newly built open learning classrooms.  We would like to thank both these passionate staff members who gave they time freely to deliver some worthwhile advice to real life scenarios and situations.

I would like to thank all Year 12 students who took this opportunity to relax and recharge the batteries.

Mr C. O'Connell

Post School Pathways Co-ordinator

Winter Uniform

• A reminder to all Year 10 students that the Senior boys tie is to be worn with the uniform this year. If you still are yet to purchase a Senior tie please do so before the end of Week 2. 
• A reminder to all students that they are to wear their College blazer to and from school without exception during Terms 2 and 3. 

Mr D. Berner

Pastoral Leader of Learning - Year 10

Welcome back to Term 2!  Year 8 have had a great start back to school, wearing their winter uniform with pride and ready to work. Just a reminder that blazers are to be worn to and from school.

A reminder that “Keeping Track” will continue running throughout the term on Wednesday afternoons from 3:20 pm - 4:20 pm in the library. All Year 8 are welcome to attend as long as they have returned a permission note to myself. It is a chance for students to receive assistance from senior students in managing homework, assessment tasks and classwork. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity especially with so many assessments due in the next few weeks, to ensure that they are ‘on track’ and meeting the demands placed on students in their junior years.

Friday Week 3 is the School Athletics Carnival and it is a compulsory school day and all students must attend, ready to participate and enjoy the day!

Students who were absent on the last day of Term 1 must return a note as to why they were absent as soon as possible as our SMS service was not working on the day.

A reminder that it is an expectation of the College to arrive at school on time. All students must be in homeroom by the 8:45 am bell or they will be marked as late.

Mrs N. Padden

Pastoral Leader of Learning - Year 8

Welcome back to Term 2! Year 7 are encouraged to maintain their enthusiasm and diligence throughout the rest of the school year.

Parents and Year 7 students are reminded that “Keeping Track” will continue throughout the term on Wednesday afternoons from 3:20 pm - 4:20 pm in the library. All Year 7 students are welcome as long as they have returned a permission slip to myself. Keeping track gives students a great opportunity to complete homework/assessment tasks, collaborate with peers and also seek help from various teachers/student leaders.

Mr. Jared Hornby

Year 7 Leader of Learning - Pastoral

This term in Wiyanga,  Stage 6 has begun exploring the upcoming election. The students have been looking at making choices and filling out ballot papers, as well as tallying up votes and seeing who or what has achieved the most votes. A polling station has been set up within the classroom, with polling booths, ballot boxes, and registration stations. Students have been role-playing waiting in line, responding to questions to identify who they are, and how to fill in the ballot paper and put it in the box.

Stage 4/5 have taken on more of a role in deciding what they want to learn during Literacy groups. The opportunity of choice will promote a more positive outlook on the content as the students have a say in what they want to learn. During Drumbeat, students this term will be looking at relationships and how they can maintain them in their every day lives.

Ms K. Scotford

IMBUE YOUR STORY WITH INTRIGUE  

by John Larkin

If You Think You Can, or You think You Can’t - Your’re Right

Author of The Shadow Girl, studied by Year 8 students,  shared his ‘YOU CAN DO’ attitude - inspiring them that anyone can write last Friday, 5th April, 2019.  He believes, “that there is great beauty of simplicity”.

Sydney-based author John Larkin was born in England but grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has, at various stages of his writing career, supported his habit by working as a supermarket trolley boy, shelf-stacker, factory hand, forklift driver, professional soccer player and computer programmer. He now writes and teaches writing full-time. John has a BA in English Literature and a MA in Creative Writing from Macquarie University. John Larkin’s The Shadow Girl won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Prize for Writing for Young Adults 2012, and The Pause won the Queensland Literary Awards Griffith University Young Adult Book Award 2015.

John Larkin told his audience that he fell in love with Literature in Year 10 - and then he left school early but never stopped learning. John Larkin oozed passion for writing. When you meet John it is easy to imagine how he creates images to convey meaning through showing rather than telling as the engaging Author shared many humorous, interesting anecdotes on where he found the inspiration for many of his characters.  The students learned that inspiration can be found in the every day - in the interactions we have with people and places. He told Year 8 about a boy he met who had ‘no filters’ when he spoke, who spoke the truth every time he opened his mouth. This lead to Larkin giving tips on character development through the concept of ‘painting pictures with words’ which had a huge impact on students.  Larkin’s best advice to the students was to get rid of onomatopoeia!  Larkin convinced the students to avoid ‘word vomits’ - the overuse of triple similes, cliches and lexical choices that describe actions that are humanly unrealistic.

Larkin’s message is to avoid a thesaurus to write - he believes the best way is to “Keep it Simple” - engage your audience with the beauty of simplicity.

Thank you to Ms Emily Gray for organising this highly entertaining, informative and worthwhile Author Visit. 

Ms S. Graham

Acting Assistant Leader of Learning - English

NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY, SYDNEY

Year 12 English Extension 1 and 2 students were invited to a lecture and workshop day at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. The purpose of this day was to provide students with an opportunity to develop their creative writing skills and learn from experts in the field. The day was coordinated by Dr. Jane Stenning (Associate Professor at the Notre Dame University Study Centre) and facilitated by published Australian author, Sarah Ayoub.

The students learned to be their own primary source, marry great ideas with relatable characters and considered how to draw inspiration from every day life to flesh out aspects of their own imaginative scripts.

On behalf of the following Year 12 students, a huge thank you to Ms Emily Gray (Leader of Learning, English) for organisng the day and to Dr Jane Stenning, Associate Professor & Director, Notre Dame Study Centre, and her team for an enriching learning experience:

Connor Barr, Alana Doueihi, Emma Gallagher, Anton Sheridan, Claudia Sobral, Isabella Waterhouse and Nell Whitaker.

Ms S. Graham

Acting Assistant Leader of Learning - English

PARRAMATTA RIVERSIDE

Just recently students in Year 12 VET Hospitality were asked to create a Crazy Shake with a chosen theme, which could be found on a café menu. Crazy Shakes, love them or fear them, have been a popular trend in recent times.

Here are some highlights.

The first one is what I call the ‘RED CARPET’. Angela Dizon was certainly in celebrity mode when she designed this one. It was funny to see everyone trying to get a good angle for a photo shot. No one wanted to eat/drink it until it was shared with Mrs Scott's Year 7 food class. I think numbers for VET Hospitality in future years may be safe.

The second one show's Ben Duguid not being so shy …. and finally, a neat little line up of some anonymous designs.

Poke Bowls and Green Smoothies next to counteract the sugar!

Ms D. Kasmer

VET Hospitality Teacher

Year 9 Photographic and Digital Media spent Term 1 learning about the manual modes of the Camera, different effects, compositional techniques and editing.  Task 1 asked them to engage this understanding and submit a collection of photographs that display their refinement of these techniques. This artist of the week has done just that, whilst also considering an overarching colour scheme for his collection. Congratulations Anthony Azar, 9PDM!

Check the breeze way for more 9PDM excellence throughout the week.

Ms C. Robinson

Visual Arts Teacher

ANZAC CEREMONY

Ms T. Andrews

Leader of Learning - Performing Arts

EASTER LITURGY

Thank you also to the Performing Arts staff Mrs Greenlees, Ms Curry, Mrs Lyons and Mr Moussa who gave so much of their own time to help to shape a beautiful and memorable Easter Liturgy service for the College Community.

Ms T. Andrews

Leader of Learning - Performing Arts

TOUCH FOOTBALL

Wednesday, 8th May

The first fixture of the Staff-student shield, Touch Football, was played today in front of a great crowd of students. The Year 12 students were the victors, taking out a close game 4 - 3. The game was played in fantastic spirits with both staff and students enjoying the competition. The staff will be hungry for victory in the next fixture, look out students.

Mr J. Hornby

Staff Student Shield Co-ordinator

On Thursday 2nd May, students selected to represent St Patrick's Marist College in Years 7-9 competed in the MCS Chess Competition against nine other schools. Each year group had two teams, competing against other schools.

Each individual competed against their opponent, with 15 minutes on the clock each to battle with the goal of defeating the opposition's king.

Overall, we finished in the middle of the pack which is a great team result. The students who represented our school very well are as follows. 

Year 7:   Maxwell Collins, Massimo Cimillo, Dylan Halliday, Ayden Bottos, Utkarsh Gupta & Keenen Rosauro.

Year 8:  Jadyn Vaz, Hamish McGlinn, Jayden Mills, Caasi Duran & Fulin Yan (all played up except for Jadyn).

Year 9: Aidan Williams, Finn Bowly, Alexander Jalil and to Nicholas Leung, Samuel Moore and Quinn Stephens (who all played up).

Special mention to Year 9A who finished 7th place out of 18 teams!  Team 9A consisted of Aidan Williams, Nicholas Leung and Alexander Jalil.

A massive thank you to Ms Pavlovich and Ms Thompson for their hard work, organisation and preparation leading up to and on the day. The Chess Club appreciate everything you do for us, thank you, and we look forward to this Thursday 9th May where Years 10-12 will compete in their MCS Chess Competition.

Mr A. Shaw

MCS Chess Coach